Newcastle striker Michael Owen has admitted the club will have to be patient as they attempt to drag themselves back into contention for major honours.

The Magpies have not won a trophy since 1969 and will have to get past Barclays Premiership champions Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals later this month if they are to rectify that situation this season.

Newcastle had put together a run of six games unbeaten under caretaker boss Glenn Roeder before Sunday's trip to Manchester United, when a quick-fire double from Wayne Rooney demonstrated just how far they have slipped off the pace since the heights of the Sir Bobby Robson era.

However, Owen is confident that, with careful building work, the Geordies can re-establish themselves as one of the perennial contenders.

"It is always going to be hard against teams like that," the England striker admitted. "In the games beforehand, we were playing against decent opposition and we were winning.

"Against Manchester United, in their own backyard, not many teams could get a result there.

"Hopefully we can build over the years and produce a team which can go to Manchester United and expect to get something.

"But at the minute, themselves, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, you would say are at a different level.

"We have to realise that and not get too disappointed if we lose at Old Trafford.

"But games at home, we can beat teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea as we have proved. We have a home game on Sunday - and that is important."

Owen's former club Liverpool arrive at St James' Park on Sunday, although he will be denied a reunion with his old team-mates because of the foot injury which has sidelined him since the end of December.

Reds skipper Steven Gerrard admitted at the weekend he would love to see his England colleague back at Anfield, although the striker played down his comments.

"Stevie has said they need a striker, or that they need to score more goals," said Owen.

"He is a good friend of mine, so I would expect him to say 'Michael Owen's a good player', because I would say the same thing about him.

"It is nice of him to say what he thinks of me, but someone else makes those decisions.

"I am happy here, as I have always said. I made a decision last summer to come here and I have loved every minute of it since."

Newcastle will be desperate to hang on to Owen with skipper Alan Shearer retiring at the end of the season, and it is not difficult to see why.

"Thankfully, when I have played, we have managed to get some points and I have managed to get some goals," he said.

"I would be feeling pretty awful if that had not been the case and I had played nine or ten games and nothing had happened when I had played.

"That is the only softening of the blow. But the rest of it is not.

"I am disappointed that I have not played as much, but not long now and I will be playing again.

"Hopefully, it is only a short period of time and I will be back out there in the black and white."

That is likely to come next month with Owen stepping up his training by the day, although he will not gamble on his fitness with the World Cup finals just a few months away.

"You see the light at the end of the tunnel, but every day seems a bit longer and I am sure that will be the case," said Owen.

"I am so close, but I am not going to rush it.

"I will come back when I am strong and fit enough, not before."

Newcastle's hopes of a place in the FA Youth Cup final hang by a thread after a see-saw 3-2 defeat in the semi-final first leg against Manchester City at St James' Park.

United were behind but fought back to lead 2-1 early in the second half, only to then concede two goals in six minutes.

However, there can be little doubt that City deserved the victory and could easily have had more goals.

They missed several chances before taking a 25th-minute lead when Kelvin Etuhu slid a low shot past keeper Fraser Forster.

United grabbed a 42nd-minute equaliser through schoolboy Jonny Godsmark as he cleverly held off centre-half Garry Breen before firing home.

Three minutes after the interval Godsmark did it again, finishing from point-blank range after Matthewson could only parry a Carroll shot.

However, United's surprise lead lasted only two minutes as Williams volleyed in.

City restored their lead when skipper Michael Johnson chased a through ball from Williams and resisted the challenge of rival skipper Paul Huntington to net.

Newcastle: Forster; Cowan, Deverdics, Huntington; Marr, Critchlow, Troisi, Cavener, Carroll, Doninger (Lualua 59), Godsmark (Little 71). Subs (not used): Lough, Terrell, Cook.