Kevin Keegan believes that Newcastle can still achieve a top half finish following the 4-1 demolishion of free scoring Tottenham Hotspur.

Newcastle came from behind to beat Tottenham 4-1 at White Hart Lane with goals from Nicky Butt, Geremi, Michael Owen and Oba Martins and although not yet safe Newcastle are nine points above the drop and even have a chance of catching 9th place West Ham.

"We're definitely not safe yet but we can look up not down," Keegan said.

"We could catch Spurs up and we could catch up West Ham. People would have said that was ridiculous a few weeks ago.

"We have three home games and three away left and playing like this, I think the players will look forward to playing anybody."

"I'm saying to the staff that if we can add little bits to this it could be quite exciting," he. There is quite a lot here. Sometimes it gets lost when you are on a bad run.

"When they play like that you think we don't need an awful lot to set us alight, just two or three. And the players would welcome that. They will have to be very good players to better us."

"I might put a couple more forwards in next time! This is the right way to play with the players and fixtures we've got.

"You look at our defensive record and to try to defend puts pressure on your defenders. They know that maybe they can concede a goal and have enough to win.

"You dream about playing like that away from home. You dream about being 4-1 up with 10 to go. Reality in the Premier League is difficult.

"It could have been seven or eight - Robinson has made terrific saves, we've hit the bar and Michael Owen's missed a chance he would normally score."

 

Kevin Keegan has paid tribute to Michael Owen for his goalscoring instincts which have helped Newcastle claim seven points in the last three games.

Owen scored his third goal in three games against Tottenham Hotspurs after a clever run and finish to help Newcastle secure a 4-1 victory despite having to drop back and play a support role for Obafemi Martins and Mark Viduka.

Despite his recent good form, Owen still finds himself out of England manager Fabio Capelloo's first team.

"It is his position at Newcastle for the time being," Keegan said. "I said, 'this is the position you have to play in this football club because that is where you are most use for us' - and he said 'that's fine'.

"He never came up to me and said 'I'm a forward'. I think he's enjoyed it."

"Fabio Capello needs asking why he hasn't played Michael because only he knows the answer."

"We could catch Spurs up and we could catch up West Ham. People would have said that was ridiculous a few weeks ago.

"We have three home games and three away left and playing like this, I think the players will look forward to playing anybody."

"This is the right way to play with the players and fixtures we've got," he said.

"You look at our defensive record and to try to defend puts pressure on your defenders. They know that maybe they can concede a goal and have enough to win.

"It could have been seven or eight - (Paul) Robinson has made terrific saves, we've hit the bar and Michael Owen's missed a chance he would normally score."

 

SHay Given is to miss the remainder of the season due to his long standing groin problem. Shay has been on the sidelines since February and the cnaces of him playing again before May look slim to none.

Shay has been making good progress in his comeback from the injury but with Steve Harper proving to be a more than capable replacement with some top performances in net, Kevin Keegan sees no hurry to rush Shay back into action.

"I think he'll be fit by the end of the season and he'll train with us for maybe the last week or 10 days, but there's no sense for him to play a match," Keegan told the Newcastle Chronicle.

"He just needs to know by the end of the season that he's fit, ready to go away and come back fit for pre-season with all his problems behind him.

"I think that, for him, will be a massive relief."

 

UPDATE

Tottenham Hotspur have won the race to sign Luka Modric from Dinamo Zagreb for a fee of £15.8million. Spurs have agreed terms with the 22 year old and he will join them in the summer subject to a medical.

YESTERDAY

Newcastle UNited have made the first move in the race to sign Luca Modric after it is understood he visited the clubs training ground on Tuesday. The 22 year old was on Tyneside with Dinamo Zagreb vice chairman Zdravko Mamic over a possible move to St.James Park.

Modric visited the training ground after holind talks with Dennis Wise and Tony Jimenez and reports suggest that Newcastle are even willing to break their record transfer fee to sign the Croatian, with many believing he is going to cost Newcastle up to £20 million and possibly more.

Barcelona and Chelsea have also been linked with the midfielder who was a big part of the Croatian side that defeated England twice in the Euro 2008 qualifiers and is exactly the sort of player that Kevin Keegan wants in his squad as he prepares to build for the future following a successful rescue mission this season.

Keegan has stated already he is impressed with the quality of the squad he has been left with by Sam Allardyce but will be looking for three or four quality signings to bolster the squad and any move for Modric will surely signal the end for Charles N'Zogbia.

 

A lot can happen in a week of football and the storm clouds seems to be gathering overhead for Kevin Keegan who has been summoned before Mike Ashley for clear-the-air talks which will take place on Friday (9th May).

Speaking on Tuesday, following Monday's defeat to Chelsea, Keegan claimed that the Premier League was becoming boring and that there was a Premiership within the Premiership and that niether Newcastle or any other club had a chance of splitting them up.

"We are a million miles away from that," said the 57-year-old.

"This league is in danger of becoming one of the most boring but great leagues in the world. The top four next year will be the same top four as this year.

"What I can say to the Newcastle fans is that we will be trying to get fifth and we will be trying to win the other league that's going on within the Premier League.

"We should make a run at that providing the owner backs me - I have no proof of that yet but I have no doubts he will.

"If I can get three or four players in to what I have got here, and we have that bit of luck you need with no injuries to key players, then we might be able to win the second division of the Premier League."

Keegan had been summoned to a meeting with Ashley and Dennis Wise on Friday and it is suggested that Ashley is unhappy with Keegans comemnts, particularly suggesting the club will not be able to finish higher than fifth as from Ashley's point of view he did not spend over £200million buying the club and wiping out debts and not try and challenge for the league in the future.

Keegan has also begun to wield the axe on Tyneside in preparation for the new season, he has reportedly told Stephen Carr and Peter Ramage that they are free to start looking for new clubs as they do not feature in his plans and James Troisis will complete the trio of players who will not be offered a new contract.

WEll in truth Peter Ramage was offered a new deal but is being let go as he could not be guarenteed a first team place. The trio will leave the club in the summer.