SIR BOBBY ROBSON last night insisted there are "no troublemakers'' at Newcastle United.

The Magpies' boss faced criticism over the summer signing of Lee Bowyer after luring Jonathan Woodgate to St. James' Park in January.

In their time together at Leeds, the pair stood trial for an attack on Asian student Sarfraz Najeib, which ended with Woodgate's conviction for affray and Bowyer's acquittal on all charges.

While £9m centre-back Woodgate has been an unqualified success on Tyneside despite injury problems, Bowyer has struggled to reproduce the form that marked him down as one of the best midfield players in the country in his days at Elland Road.

Robson recently admitted that Bowyer has lost his edge as he strives to clean up his image.

But he is in no doubt that he was right to sign him on a free transfer from West Ham.

Striker Craig Bellamy, who Robson signed from Coventry for £6m two years ago, and midfielder Kieron Dyer are two other high-profile Newcastle players to have attracted adverse publicity.

The Magpies have made a disastrous start to the season, crashing out of the Champions League and sinking to second bottom in the Premiership after picking up only three points from six games.

Robson has come under pressure for the first time in his four-year reign, and Newcastle this week took the unusual step of issuing a statement to deny internet rumours - believed to have emanated from a Sunderland fans' website - that the 70-year-old manager had resigned.

Both Robson and chairman Freddy Shepherd then went on record to rubbish suggestions that he could be on the way out.

There has been talk of a dressing-room split between the Magpies' young stars and the established order personified by skipper Alan Shearer.

But Robson, whose side desperately need to record their first League win of the season when they host Southampton tomorrow, maintains that no-one is rocking the boat.

"We don't have any problems - we have no troublemakers at all,'' said Robson.

"We have some spiky young kids in the club, but they are alive and alert. There is no dressing-room division.

"The morale at the club and the teamwork is of a very high order and we have no problems at all.

"Bowyer and Woodgate are fine boys. Before you sit an exam, you do your homework and we did that with those two.

"They have lived up to all our expectations and they have never been a source of trouble.''

* Newcastle have turned down a loan approach from Sunderland for centre-back Steve Caldwell.

Striker Calvin Zola will stay on loan at Oldham for another month after netting three times in six games for The Latics.

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