NEWCASTLE United manager Graeme Souness has held clear-the-air talks with Laurent Robert following the latest alleged outburst from his controversial winger.

The two met face-to-face yesterday morning with the Scot seeking an explanation over comments reported to have been made by the Frenchman about his desire to quit St James' Park.

Robert was reported to be keen for a move either back to his homeland or to Spain - believing he did not have the confidence of his new manager.

Souness attempted to calm troubled waters yesterday by insisting he had received a full explanation, and was happy to accept the word of 29-year-old Robert.

Souness said: "I spoke to Laurent about it and he said he phoned up the Paris St Germain president about a ticket to a game of football last week for a member of his family and he can't understand how that story appeared in the paper.

"And I believe the player."

The player, signed for £9.5m in the summer of 2001, was almost heading back to France with Marseille last summer but talks broke down over the player's wage demands.

The latest controversy to hit Souness follows hot on the heels of Craig Bellamy's foul-mouthed tirade at his manager after his substitution in the game against Charlton last month.

Souness then attempted to speak to the player for an explanation only for the two to be involved in an unseemly spat.

The Newcastle boss will no doubt now appreciate more Sir Bobby Robson's comments that while at St James' Park he felt like a firefighter continually dousing the flames of controversy that erupted at the club almost on a weekly basis.

Robert has courted controversy ever since his move from PSG, with his personal website a popular talking shop from where he regularly aired his forthright views.

But only a fortnight ago he vowed to put an end to his tantrums and even pledged his allegiance to Souness.

He said: "The new Laurent Robert will do his talking on the pitch

"There will be no more tantrums from me; I have closed my website down and it will stay shut. I want people to see a lot more of me and hear a lot less.

"I like the manager and I want to do well for him. I think that he likes me and I think that he understands my position."

Souness, however, was yesterday more inclined to look to the future with his enigmatic French winger.

He said: "I'm not interested in what's happened prior to when I came here.

"I'm satisfied with his work-rate, I'm satisfied with his attitude.

"I have to be satisfied with his explanation. I believe him. I sat across from him at a table and watched the words come out of his mouth.

"Until such time as it is proved differently then I will believe him and maybe that's because I'm such a nice guy."

Souness also had praise for the player following his performance in the 2-0 defeat by Chelsea on Wednesday night.

But the manager admitted he would like to see much more of the player during a game.

"Laurent Robert can be a match-winner with his set-pieces.

"We would like him to be involved a lot more because he's a genuine match-winner, but that is Laurent Robert and we'll have to work to try and change that."

Since Souness arrived Robert has spent almost as much time on the bench as on the field of play as the new Newcastle boss has attempted to make the Magpies more difficult to beat - especially on their travels.

The Frenchman's future on Tyneside remains open to question and Souness admitted recently he remains a big fan of Chelsea's left-sided midfielder Damien Duff, who played under him at Blackburn Rovers.

l Newcastle skipper Alan Shearer has backed Chelsea to win the Carling Cup after seeing his best chance of silverware in his final season at Newcastle slip away.

The 34-year-old striker will quit in May and still harbours hopes that his swansong will include lifting some silverware before the season ends.

His dream now rests with the FA and UEFA Cups with Newcastle seemingly too far adrift in the Premiership, and out of the Carling Cup.

He said: "I fully believed that whoever won the game had a really good chance of going on and winning the competition, and that's the tough thing to take.

"Chelsea have such a strong squad packed with internationals that it won't surprise me if they do go all the way.

"Take their goalkeeper, Carlo Cudicini.

"For a couple of years some people have been saying he's the best in the Premiership, but right now he cannot get in their first-choice team.

"You saw how strong they are and why they are fighting on four fronts, but I thought we matched them for 90 minutes.

"You cannot fault anyone in our side. The work-rate was excellent and so was the commitment. Everyone put in a good shift and no-one could ask for any more.

"I thought it was going to go to penalties, but a bit of brilliance from Gudjohnsen turned the game, and it takes something special to win a tight match."

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