Chairman Freddy Shepherd is confident that new boss Graeme Souness is the right man to "kick the backsides" of Newcastle's under-performing superstars.

The United chief has presided over a St James' Park revolution since replacing Sir John Hall in the mid 1990s, with the club's stadium, training facilities and general infrastructure changing out of all recognition.

Some things never change though and, despite investing more than £100m in playing talent, the trophy cabinet remains as bare as ever.

Sir Bobby Robson reached the last four of both the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup during his five years in charge of the Magpies, but was unable to take his side to the next level.

Souness has made winning silverware his number one priority and, as well as having the players to end Newcastle's 35-year trophy drought, Newcastle's chairman is confident the Scotsman has the character to inspire a new era on Tyneside.

"If you look at this club then the ingredients are there," said Shepherd. "We've got a great stadium and the greatest supporters. We've also got great players.

"You wonder why it hasn't happened because all the ingredients are there. You wonder 'Why hasn't it happened' and you've got to look deeper.

"I think that's why we've done what we've done. We've looked a bit deeper than we did over the last five years and this is a fresh start for us.

"No disrespect to the lads that have left, but sometimes it needs a change. Everybody in life needs a kick up the backside and, with the new guys coming in, perhaps this is the kick they've needed."

Robson was criticised for failing to tame Newcastle's young millionaires, with the likes of Kieron Dyer and Craig Bellamy making headlines for all the wrong reasons over the last 12 months.

Souness insists he is no whip-cracking disciplinarian, but his impact has already been felt via the introduction of compulsory Sunday training sessions, immediate fines for poor time-keeping and the threat of random breath tests between games.

The former Blackburn boss proved he was not afraid to take on pampered egos when clashes with David Dunn, Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke resulted in the three players leaving Ewood Park.

Shepherd did not appoint Souness simply because of his no-nonsense approach but, after watching tales of dressing room unrest undermine United's progress so far this season, he is confident the former Middlesbrough midfielder has both the temperament and experience to handle anything that is thrown at him.

"Nobody can manage this club being a shrinking violet," said Souness. "You need somebody with stature and personality. A guy wouldn't survive here if he didn't have something about him.

"No disrespect to any other manager, but a guy from the lower echelons wouldn't be able to stand the pressure here."

While most United fans accept that something had to happen after the side's dismal start to the season, Shepherd has been roundly criticised for both the timing and the manner of Robson's dismissal.

His position was undermined when Shepherd revealed he would not be offered a new deal at the end of the season but, while the United chairman was sorry to lose someone he values as a friend, he maintains he was right to give him one last chance to succeed.

"A lot of people have asked me 'Why didn't you do it in the summer'," said Shepherd. "The reason the board didn't do it in the summer is that we thought Bobby would get off to a better start than he did last season.

"Therefore, we wouldn't be playing catch-up like we are again. We thought we'd get a better start, but it hasn't happened.

"Five years is a long time for any manager in the modern game - forget (Arsene) Wenger and (Alex) Ferguson because they're one-offs.

"To be fair to Bob and the board, we've given him five years.

"He was 66 when he came in and I don't think many people would have thought he would still have been here five years later."

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