SO what's new? Newcastle attack from the first whistle and Kevin Keegan's side defend badly.

It's a familiar refrain to Geordie fans, who remember with fondness the cut-and-thrust of the Keegan era at St. James' Park.

Six years after his cataclysmic departure from Tyneside, the former Newcastle manager still revels in his reputation as English football's king cavalier.

Keegan's legacy lives on in the side Sir Bobby Robson has fashioned in his near-three-and-a-half years in charge.

City boss Keegan admits he can see much of the team of entertainers he assembled at Newcastle in Robson's similarly showy outfit.

The bold approach, as witnessed by skipper Alan Shearer's astonishing 10.4-second goal on Saturday, even leads Keegan to believe that this side could yet go one better than his Newcastle of old - and win the Premiership title.

On that theme, Keegan finds himself in agreement with Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson - a rarity indeed. It was Ferguson, of course, who infamously psyched out Keegan in the home straight of the 1996 championship race after Newcastle had frittered away a 12-point lead.

But Keegan confesses he would "love it'' if Robson's men could overhaul Man. United and leaders Arsenal to bring the top-flight title to Tyneside for the first time in 76 years.

The Achilles heel, Keegan contends, is the failing that thwarted his own attempt to land the crown - their defending.

"While this Newcastle side have character, pace and width, and a tremendous strikeforce in Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy, I still think that when you look at them defensively, you will get chances,'' said Keegan.

"We did in this game even though we didn't play very well. I think they are cavalier at times, but you have to go forward with players like Nolberto Solano, Laurent Robert, Kieron Dyer, Bellamy and, to a degree, Jermaine Jenas. That's the way football should be played.

"I have no arguments about the result. I thought Newcastle deserved to win.

"You can see what Alex means when he talks about them as title contenders. They have a game in hand and another three points and they're right up there.

"They've won ten Premiership games here in a row and if they pick up a few more points away, why not?

"Stranger things have happened. Worse teams than this Newcastle side have won the league. That's no disrespect to Newcastle - it's meant as a compliment.

"Who knows? Maybe Alex will be right - he usually is!

"I thought Newcastle had a chance of winning the title last season and nothing would please me more for the fans here. But I think Arsenal are exceptional.''

With the Gunners, Man. United and Chelsea all still to come to fortress St. James', Robson insists: "We're in a great position.''

Shearer certainly ensured they were from the start against City.

Former Newcastle centre-back Steve Howey played the ball back to Carlo Nash from the kick-off and the goalkeeper's first touch was his undoing.

As he attempted to retrieve the situation with a hurried clearance, Shearer charged the ball down and rolled in what Robson noted was a "rare left-footed goal'' from his captain.

It was the second quickest strike in Premiership history, a fraction outside Tottenham defender Ledley King's ten-second effort against Bradford two seasons ago.

Shearer, back from a one-match ban, couldn't have announced his return any more emphatically as he registered his 17th goal of the season only minutes after receiving the Premiership Player of the Month award for December from Robson at pitchside.

And Keegan, who brought Shearer back to his native Tyneside from Blackburn in a then-world record £15m transfer in the heady summer of '96, regards the deal as the best he has done - "the bargain of a lifetime''.

Keegan said: "He's their leader and most teams would die for leadership like that. It's lacking in the game. Men? If you look back 20 years, there were quite a few about, but they're a dying breed.''

Machismo was clearly a quality he felt was lacking in his own side. "There were a lot of my players out there who didn't perform,'' said Keegan, whose mood was already down following the collapse of Robbie Fowler's £7m move to Maine Road from Leeds.

City still played their part in an entertaining encounter and hit a post through skipper Ali Benarbia in the first half.

But Bellamy's 65th-minute strike settled the issue. Jenas, who ran all afternoon and in tandem with Dyer also ran the midfield, played a delightful ball out to Robert on the left.

And the French winger, forced to defend himself last week against a purported attack on teammates in a Sunday tabloid, capped a much more committed display by delivering a perfect low centre for Bellamy to slide the ball in at the far post. On the other flank, Nolberto Solano was no less impressive after being axed for the game at West Ham a week earlier.

Robson, who has had problems with Robert since paying Paris St. Germain £9.5m for him in the summer of 2001, said: "Laurent's happiness at this club is in his own hands.

"He's shown in this game what we saw in him when we bought him. When he plays like that, there's no-one better in the Premiership, and you've got Ryan Giggs at Man. United, Damien Duff at Blackburn and Robert Pires at Arsenal.

"Laurent has to learn the game is played both ways. When he plays like that there's no argument about his ability.

"We also got a much better performance from Nobby than of late. He was left out of the team and has learned the hard way."

Result: Newcastle United 2 Manchester City 0.

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