ANDY O'BRIEN is hoping solid displays for his country will be enough to convince Graeme Souness he deserves a regular place in Newcastle United's starting line-up.

O'Brien has been enjoying a revival at St James' Park, despite the threat of leaving during the transfer window, when a possible move to Aston Villa broke down.

With £8m defender Jean-Alain Boumsong sidelined through injury, the Republic of Ireland international has enjoyed a healthy run in the Newcastle side.

Now Boumsong has recovered from a hamstring problem and the Frenchman is due to make his comeback in the FA Cup fifth round tie with Chelsea a week on Sunday.

Souness will have to decide whether to axe O'Brien or Titus Bramble in order to bring back the former Rangers and Auxerre centre-back.

But O'Brien, buoyed by a match-winning display for the Irish on Wednesday night, has no intentions of giving up his place easily.

The 25-year-old believes his form for his country, after he scored the winning goal in the friendly with Portgual, should help to persuade Souness that he deserves to retain his shirt.

"Defensively I know I've played better - not that I'm saying I didn't do well enough. I always make excuses and never take the plaudits. But the performance underlined just what I can do for my club, although I don't doubt my ability," said O'Brien, who signed a one- year extension to his Newcastle contract at the end of last month.

"I play around 40 games a year for Newcastle. I don't want to see that number reduced; I want to better it."

It is Newcastle's predicament in the Premiership, having conceded 43 goals already this season, that led to Souness bolstering his defensive line last month.

Vice-captain Jermaine Jenas, back on Tyneside after playing for England, admits the club's mid-table position has been difficult to come to terms with.

But Jenas insists there is a determination within the Newcastle squad to turn things around and help the club back towards the top.

"It is very disappointing - this hasn't been a good season for us. I have been at this club for a few years now and I know where Newcastle United belongs," said Jenas.

"We are all frustrated. We have enough good players at this club to be up there fighting for a Champions League place. To see us not up there doing that is really disappointing. It is disappointing for me personally, as a player, and the rest of the lads feel the same way.

"We're still in the FA Cup, we're still in Europe and it's important to push on in those competitions .

Getting as many wins as we can between now and the end of the season should be our only aim."

* Craig Bellamy believes his brace for Wales on Wednesday night has helped him to come through the pain he has suffered in the past couple of weeks.

Bellamy was farmed out on loan to Celtic after a public fall-out with Souness and the striker scored his first goals since mid-December against Hungary.

He said: "It has been a rough time for me - I seem to have more than most. People who do not know me have said lots of things about me. All I wanted to do is keep my head down and just get back to playing. The only way I can respond is to go out and play my football. I have been absolutely battered.

''You can talk all you want but actions speak louder than words."

* Former Newcastle midfielder Robert Lee, 39, has gone on trial at Wycombe with a view to a short-term deal.

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