FANS got a first glimpse of new signings Jean-Alain Boumsong and Celestine Babayaro at St James' Park on Saturday in Newcastle's unconvincing 2-1 victory over struggling Southampton.

And those heading for the pubs at 4.55pm would have left the ground with mixed feelings, as the new pair had indifferent home debuts in their new United careers.

Given chairman Freddie Shepherd tried to make a £20m swoop for Wayne Rooney in the summer, Newcastle fans could be forgiven for salivating at the prospect of further attempts to bring in world class players in the January transfer window.

And following Jonathan Woodgate's £14m departure to Real Madrid central defensive reinforcements were obviously a priority for the United hierarchy.

But dreams of Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta or John Terry and Sol Campbell replacing a comedy back line with serious drama were shattered, when Newcastle boss Graeme Souness brought in Boumsong and Babayaro - hardly players to fire the fans' imagination.

Sceptics would say Babayaro was Chelsea's third choice left back, and Boumsong is a centre half nobody else wanted, and one who could have been snapped up for nothing last summer.

A game against the Premiership's bottom but one club should have provided the pair with a comfortable home debut and a perfect riposte to the cynics - it did anything but and only fuelled the doubters' imagination further.

Certainly on this evidence - against one of the Premiership's worst sides - both Boumsong and Babayaro didn't look as if they could solve a jigsaw puzzle never mind thwarting the cream of the Premiership.

The French international revealed a few deft touches at times but his positional play was questionable at best, inept at worst.

On several occasions he got caught on either the wrong side, or in front of his man, and against a better side, the Magpies would have been punished.

Titus Bramble took responsibility of attacking the first ball with Boumsong picking up the pieces, or sweeping up the second ball. At least that was how it was supposed to work out.

The former Auxerre and Rangers man got off to a shaky start, and his first touch - a short pass from Bramble - brought nothing but bad control, although he did recover in time to keep possession.

His second touch was an over hit ball to Alan Shearer. To be fair, the atrocious St James' Park pitch certainly wasn't helping, but pitch conditions for a defender worth £8m should be no excuse.

Boumsong later settled in as the first half progressed and made two telling clearances before half time.

The second half was much of the same, although United's new defensive saviour did make a couple of telling tackles to break up play.

Yet as the final whistle drew the curtain on his first appearance at the St James' Park theatre, he had yet to win a header when under pressure which does not bode well.

Babayaro had a better start than his new team-mate and was neat and tidy in the early stages.

A delightful 30 yard cross field ball to Lee Bowyer brought a generous round of applause before a delicious curling free-kick, which Bramble stabbed home at the near post on 38 minutes, had the Geordie faithful in raptures.

The Nigerian international faded after the break, however, and a couple of sloppy passes could have proved costly. But given it was only Babayaro's sixth game of the season, a lack of match fitness could easily be blamed.

Newcastle boss Graeme Souness says it would be unfair to pass judgement on his new signings just yet as Babayaro isn't fully fit and Boumsong needs to adjust to the pace of the Premiership.

Given the Magpies visit Arsenal next weekend it is to be hoped it is sooner rather than later.

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