SHAY GIVEN has admitted that Newcastle must recapture their old form to have any hope of winning the UEFA Cup.

Manager Sir Bobby Robson warned after the 3-1 third-round second-leg victory over Valerenga last week that his side's performance had fallen well below expectations.

The Magpies now face Real Mallorca at St. James' Park on Thursday in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

And goalkeeper Given, who had to make a string of crucial saves at home to Valerenga, confessed: "We aren't playing well at the moment - and we know that.

"Against Valerenga, I had more to do than their keeper. They were no mugs and they made it tough for us. The important thing is that we are in the last 16 and that was always our number one aim.

"We are looking forward to the next round because this is when it starts to get more interesting.

"There are some very good teams in there to say the least, so we know it will be very tough.

"We are at the stage in this competition where we will have to step up a notch. At half-time against Valerenga we knew we weren't playing well and that we had to improve.

"We were the home team and we had to turn it around. Shola Ameobi came on and took his two goals very well.

"Give Valerenga credit for giving us a tough game, but there are bigger clubs in front of us now.

"A lot of the lads here have played in Europe before and we need to be more cagey in games.

"Can we win it? Who knows? There are a lot of big teams left in the competition, so we'll just have to see.

"The last 16 is a very strong stage of the tournament. All the players here really want to win something. We are very hungry to do that. We just hope it can be this competition.''

Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd is desperate to see his side seal fourth place in the Premiership and book a return ticket on the Champions League gravy train.

But Given insisted: "I would take the UEFA Cup. The chairman might have different views and prefer finishing fourth, but as a player you just want to win something.

"I wouldn't say I was envious of Middlesbrough winning the Carling Cup, but we want to win something.

"It was good to see a North-East team do well and they deserved it, but there is no reason why we shouldn't have been them.''

Read more about Newcastle United FC here.