SCOTT Parker became the latest Newcastle United player to back his under pressure manager, and insisted Graeme Souness is the right man to turn around the club's flagging fortunes.

Alan Shearer, Michael Owen, Lee Clarke and Albert Luque have all recently given undivided support to Souness despite the club's recent slump which has seen them pick up just one point from the last 15 in the Premier League.

United last tasted victory in the Premiership back in mid-December when Michael Owen bagged a hat-trick in a 4-2 victory at West Ham.

The club's only two successes since that have come against League Two opposition in the FA Cup.

Last week's home defeat to Blackburn brought a storm of protest from unhappy fans outside St James' Park calling for Souness to be fired.

Many fans felt chairman Freddy Shepherd was about to pull the trigger on Souness' tenure on Tyneside when the manager was summoned to the ground a weekago.

But, the Scot revealed the meeting was amicable and insisted his job was not under threat.

Parker ran half the length of the pitch to celebrate with his manager after netting United's second at Cheltenham on Saturday, and said: "I ran to the dugout because I wanted to show my support for the manager.

"As a team and as a club we have been under a bit of pressure for the past few weeks - rightly so at times because we haven't produced - and it's really important that we stick together.

"If we do stick together then hopefully we can pull through. Hopefully this (win) will bring us some respite."

The Newcastle midfielder is hoping Saturday's success can be the watershed in a disappointing season and backed Souness and the club to move forward.

"The one thing I have noticed about this football club is that it's like sitting on a rollercoaster," said the 25-year-old midfielder, who scored his first for the Magpies at Whaddon Road.

"Things are either brilliant or awful and there's nothing in between. Hopefully we can now keep things quiet so that we can go about our business, play our football and pick up some results and turn the corner.

"This competition is very important to us and also for the fans. Hopefully if we can get a good draw we can have a good run.

"The manager has taken all the flak. He has been protecting us and that's the sort of person he is. That's the measure of him as a man and as players we all appreciate that.

"It has been a tough spell for us. We know that results haven't been good. We have had a lot of injuries. The manager has taken the brunt of the criticism. We have to stand up now and show him that we're capable of turning things around. He has done his bit. Now it's up to us."

Parker had an operation shortly after United's defeat at Tottenham on New Year's Eve to remove floating cartilage in his knee and, as a consequence, missed the fixtures against Middlesbrough, Mansfield, Fulham and Blackburn.

The £6.5m summer signing from Chelsea confessed his month-long spell on the sidelines has been frustrating.

The fixture against Cheltenham was always pencilled in as his comeback game but, he nearly missed out after suffering an upset stomach.

He said: "I'm pleased to have got my first game under my belt and hopefully I, and the others, can stay fit, keep going and turn the corner.

"I'm really really tired. But I'm pleased to be back. I had an upset stomach in the middle of the night - I think it's something I caught off my kids. But I wanted to get back and I'm glad I did."

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