BELEAGUERED Titus Bramble was facing the axe last night after Sir Bobby Robson decided to take the defender out of the firing line.

Bramble will be replaced by Nikos Dabizas at Chelsea tomorrow if the Greek recovers in time from the calf injury that forced him to miss Wednesday's defeat to Leeds United.

Bramble, Robson's £5m summer signing from Ipswich Town, had his shortcomings painfully exposed by Leeds and is struggling to recapture the form that marked him out as an England international-in-waiting little more than a year ago.

Had Dabizas been fit on Wednesday, he would have partnered Andy O'Brien at the heart of the Newcastle defence, with Bramble relegated to the bench.

And after another sub-standard display at St James' Park, 21-year-old Bramble is staring at the prospect of a spell out of the first team ahead of Newcastle's assault on the Champions League first phase.

Robson defended his new signing and said: "Titus didn't play against Scunthorpe United; he played against Leeds United.

"He was up against Harry Kewell, Mark Viduka, Alan Smith, Lee Bowyer and Nick Barmby. They're top players and we did look a little bit vulnerable at times, but did you not think that Titus did all right now and then?"

Bramble was culpable for Leeds' second goal, when his mishit clearance enabled Smith to score, and he failed to cope with the threat of Viduka on the night.

Wednesday's performance came on the back of an uncertain start to his time on Tyneside for Bramble, who was poor against Nottingham Forest and Barcelona in pre-season and was also found wanting at Liverpool last week.

Meanwhile, Gary Speed was last night warned to become more of a team player by Robson after his temper tantrum during Wednesday's defeat.

Speed refused to shake the Newcastle manager's hand after he was substituted and replaced by Hugo Viana in the 67th minute.

Such a public display of dissent angered Robson, who said: "Gary Speed has to learn that it is not just about 11 players these days.

"He wasn't too delighted to be taken off, but that was no skin off my nose. I will make the decision on who I want to take off.

"As it happens, Speed did not deserve to be taken off and neither did Shola Ameobi.

"But Speed played 90 minutes for Wales on Saturday and while I am not saying he cannot play two games in four days, the game was ebbing away from us and I had to change things.

"I have no argument or problems with Gary Speed. After all, I did pick him for the Leeds match. He is a great professional and he acted very professionally.

"He has pride in his own fitness and performances and he is one of my blue chip players.

"But Hugo Viana is a different kind of player than Gary Speed, just like Craig Bellamy is a different type of player to Shola Ameobi."

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