Joe Kinnear has appealed for Newcastle fans to get behind the team and not target owner Mike Ashley at Sunday's Tyne-Wear derby.
Ashley will end his exile from the St James' Park stands when the Magpies line up to face Sunderland, in a match being shown live on Sky Sports 1 and HD1 at 1.30pm.
He become a much-maligned figure when Kevin Keegan left Newcastle, leading to mass protests against Ashley, who claimed he feared for his safety during the game with Hull in September and subsequently tried to sell the club.
But he is now set to return to watch the Magpies - without any special protection from police - and Kinnear hopes supporters will get behind his side instead of being distracted by Ashley's presence.
Kinnear told The Sun: "This is a game where the fans have to be a 12th man and get behind the team, irrespective of what they think of me, or Mike or anyone else.
"Mike has never been disillusioned, badly hurt and upset, but he is desperate to come back."
Despite the mass protests, Kinnear believes it is only a minority of the crowd who are against Ashley, with others realising the financial support he has given the club.
He said: "It is only a small section of the crowd.
"He's not daft enough not to know what will happen if we lose against Sunderland.
"I think they realise what he has done. He bought the club when it was in the s***. He has paid all the debts and paid out a fortune.
"Mike has put his money in and is entitled to be given a chance. He writes out the cheques every week to pay the wages."
He added: "But he is in a no-win situation. He doesn't buy players, he doesn't do this, doesn't do that, he is going to come in for stick.
"That's the way football is. Mike knows the situation we are in here because of what is hitting his own business."
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