SINCE Patrick Kluivert's arrival from Barcelona in the summer the debate in the pubs and clubs on Tyneside has surrounded which two from four forwards should be employed as the Magpies' first choice pairing?

Several permutations have been suggested by the faithful: Alan Shearer and Kluivert; Shearer and Craig Bellamy; Kluivert and Bellamy, or all three strikers in tandem with Shola Ameobi filling in when either one is injured. Ameobi, however, was removed from the equation at the weekend when he failed to recover from injury.

Boss Graeme Souness started with the same 11 players who did well for him at Southampton the previous week for WBA's visit to Tyneside. That meant Shearer, Kluivert and Bellamy all started for the second successive game.

At St Mary's, the 51-year-old Scot sacrificed the flair of Laurent Robert for Jermaine Jenas and asked Bellamy to play out of position on the right side of midfield to allow Kluivert to partner Shearer through the middle.

No-one can dispute the manager was justified in his selection policy as the Magpies claimed their first victory in a League fixture against the Saints for 32 years, and registered a win away from home in the Premiership for the first time in 11 months.

Against the Baggies, although the line-up remained unchanged, Souness shuffled his pack somewhat and switched from a traditional 4-4-2 formation to a brave 4-3-1-2.

Shearer and Bellamy were reunited through the middle with Kluivert playing in the hole just off the front two. Nicky Butt, Lee Bowyer and Jenas were employed as a narrow three in the centre of the park, and full-backs Stephen Carr and Olivier Bernard were encouraged to get forward and supply crosses.

The science was quite simple in theory.

Unfortunately, science, aside from what goes up must come down, is unpredictable, as Saturday's game revealed.

To be fair, Jenas made known United had little time to implement their new system. A combination of the midweek UEFA Cup clash against Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin and a trip to the south coast for last week's Premiership match being largely to blame.

There were early indications that playing a withdrawn Kluivert could work, and on several occasions the link-up play between the swashbuckling threesome was impressive.

But despite all the intricacies and pretty play, no clear chances were created and no goals were yielded until Robert was introduced just before the hour - which suggests it failed.

Bellamy is at his best when he's working the channels and stretching the opposition's back-line, which allows Shearer menacingly to patrol the centre. Saturday was no different for the fleet-footed Wales international, who gave Riccardo Scimeca a torrid time with his pace and jinking runs.

So much so that Jonathan Greening was asked to double up to prevent him running riot.

Kluivert, as usual, revealed great composure and vision on the ball and always found time under pressure to pick out a team-mate with some delightful one-touch passes, and a double Scimeca block five minutes before the break prevented the Holland international from opening his account before he did.

Shearer probably suffered more than his colleagues. Starved of service from the flanks, his usual bread and butter, he cut a forlorn figure until Robert replaced the injured Bellamy.

Souness, who lavished praise on Kluivert after the game, clearly believes all three strikers can play together.

He said: "Alan Shearer and Patrick Kluivert can quite easily link up as a pair.

"I think if you're a top player then you quickly learn what the guy you're playing against is good at and what he's not good at and you take advantage of the things he's not good at.

"Likewise when you're playing alongside someone you quickly learn what they're good at and what kind of link-up is possible.

"Patrick will be disappointed he only has four goals.

"I think if we can keep him fit and hopefully he wants to prove a point then, without going overboard, he's up there with anyone you want to mention.

"I felt I played my best football at 31 and I think, as a striker, it will be a wee bit before that and he should be in his prime now (at 28).

"He's been a long-standing target now for Newcastle and I think if Patrick can stay motivated he will be a fantastic player for this club.

"If we can keep him fit and he wants it - I don't care who you want to name of his type - if he's right in his head and he's fit then there's no-one better.

"Patrick Kluivert is a class act. That's the first thing that comes into my head when you talk about Patrick Kluivert."

With three wins in three games who are we to argue?

But to put things into perspective Sakhnin, Southampton and West Brom are not Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.

The true test lies ahead.

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