SIR BOBBY ROBSON has given Newcastle United's rising stars the perfect compliment by insisting they are closing the gap between themselves and European champions Real Madrid.

The Newcastle chief had to sit and watch the Champions League semi-finals this week after his side were knocked out of the competition in the second group stage.

And Robson knows his side have already beaten Real's opponents in the last four, Juventus, this season.

The Magpies overcame the Italian giants 1-0 late last year and Real Madrid were only able to record a home first leg 2-1 win at the Bernabeu on Tuesday night.

And Robson is convinced his Newcastle young guns will become a household name on the European stage in the future.

"Real Madrid, by all reports, were lucky to defeat Juventus at home, well we beat Juve here and we were not lucky to defeat them. So, how far are you away from it?" said Robson, who then watched AC Milan and Inter Milan battle it out in the other semi-final 24 hours later.

"Can you gain your comparison with that sort of result in that sort of environment. A point like that is worth mentioning to the players - 'hey we are not that far away.'

"It is one goal you can protect or is it one goal you can get? That is the difference at this level.

"Inter possibly got the wrong impression about us because we lost Craig Bellamy here after four minutes and lost 4-1 after playing quite well for 86 minutes.

"That is another thing we have learnt - I don't think we will lose Bellamy after four minutes again.

"So yes, we must remember how well we did against sides like Juve and Inter."

Newcastle make the trip to relegated West Bromwich Albion tomorrow knowing a place in the top four is already secured.

But Robson knows, having missed out on finishing in the top two, that to qualify for Champions League football next season his side will have to get over a qualifier hurdle some time in August.

So the St James' Park boss is hoping chairman Freddy Shepherd will gamble and open his purse strings in the transfer market this summer.

"This is why finishing first or second is so nice because you've got the security of knowing you are in," said the 70-year-old. "And we don't know who we are going to draw in the qualifier.

"To go out and bring in say two £5m players with the money not coming in is a tricky situation for the chairman so I understand it.

"Anyway, he is difficult to get a hold of at the moment because he is on the golf course."

And Robson has warned his squad that he will not be afraid to replace old stock - provided the players brought in are of a better standard than those already at his disposal on Tyneside.

"We have to be loyal to our present crop who have done very well for us," said Robson. "We won't think about buying that new piece in the jigsaw unless we feel it is what we should do and it really does benefit the club.

"We have to be loyal to our players, but if there has to be change then so be it. I must do what is right for the club and its supporters.

"If the word you use is 'being ruthless' I say it is wanting to be better.

"But I am warning you, football right now is a different marketplace to what it was a year and a half ago, fees are not the same; it is a completely different market."

Newcastle's final game of the season at the Hawthorns today has nothing but pride at stake for both sides.

But Robson is urging his men to come away with a win and ensure his side finish on the same number of points as last season.

"First things first, the season is not over yet and I have been emphasising this point to my players," he said. "We will have our normal large travelling support, at the Hawthorns, and another three points will match last season's tally of 71.

"And do you think West Brom will want to lose 6-0 again, certainly not, it ain't over yet!"

He added: "I hope we can repeat things we have done this year next also, I hope we can repeat 12 results like the 12 we produced this season after every Champions' League tie!

"We are working at a different level to when I first came here, we are working in that top cluster of clubs and we don't want to get out of it.

"So we have to continue to look at the squad, at the jigsaw, we have to continue to change things; perhaps looking at a piece that might need replacing.

"If we feel that strongly about it then that is what I will do."

Meanwhile, Blackburn Rovers are understood to be closing in on a £1m move for Nikos Dabizas.

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