Given warns of relegation danger

AFTER the giddy optimism of Kevin Keegan’s second coming, reality is beginning to bite at Newcastle United.

Three games, one draw and no goals later, the scale of the task confronting Tyneside’s Messiah is becoming only too clear, with goalkeeper Shay Given warning that the club is now embroiled in a relegation battle.

Newcastle might have a seven-point cushion over the current bottom three but they are winless in the league since December 15 and confidence appears to have hit rock-bottom.

They surrendered meekly at the Emirates, a result that means Sunday’s meeting with Middlesbrough — just two points behind their north-east rivals — has now assumed gargantuan proportions.

“There is a danger now of getting sucked into the relegation battle and we are very aware of that,” Given said.

“We are looking over our shoulders and players are a bit low and disheartened at the moment.

“I think everybody has got carried away a bit. There’s a lot of work to be done and Kevin has not got a magic wand. It is not going to happen overnight. The good thing is that at least we are not playing Arsenal away every week, but Middlesbrough is now a huge game for us.”

Just days into his first stint as manager, Keegan famously walked out of St James’ Park, claiming the job was “not as advertised in the brochure.”

He subsequently returned, but he might be tempted to draw a similar conclusion this time, having seen his efforts to sign new players thwarted and Dennis Wise installed as an ‘executive director’ on the board with a portfolio that includes player recruitment and youth development.

Keegan insisted on Tuesday that Wise’s appointment was not a shock and that he saw it as “a positive move“, but Given has urged the Newcastle hierarchy to allow the former England manager to shape his squad for himself.

“It is going to take time for him to get in the players he wants and get his ideas across and hopefully build a stronger squad,” the Ireland goalkeeper said. “When you look at a team like Arsenal, the squad they have, they could probably put out two teams for both occasions against us and still have been strong enough to win. We are very low in numbers at the minute.”