It looks set that Kevin Keegans first signing is just about tied up and as his last spell in charge its a defender.  Free agent  Lamine Diatta has undergone a 4 day trial wih the club and appears to have done enough to earn himself a contract.

From the Evening Chronicle

“Habib (Beye) knows him very well and I have been very impressed by his attitude.

“He’ll benefit us from the fact that he’s a centre-half and an international player.

“He’s captain of Senegal and has vast experience.

“I’ve been very impressed and, while we’ve been unable to sign players, in this case we have because of his circumstances.

“What Lamine has done is come over and been very honest and showed in a determined way what you have to do to earn a contract.

“And after four days I felt it was the sensible thing to do.

“He might take a week to get fit and there’s a language problem. He speaks a little English but isn’t fluent.

“But the deal is common sense and I see it as an insurance policy.”

Captain extraordinaire, Michael Owen, has been talking about the low moral levels in the squad after not picking up a win in the league since Keegan took charge.

"Confidence isn't at its best.  There is nervousness throughout the side."

"We've got an awful lot of games left and we aren't in the relegation zone at the moment,"

"We're not at panic stations but we are obviously well aware we need to get a result - and fast.

"This game against Blackburn on Saturday is one you look at and think Newcastle at home should be getting something out of it.

"If we can do that we can get a bit of confidence. We then play Liverpool and after that we have got a few games that are winnable.

"If we can get some confidence going into those games then I'm sure we can push onwards and upwards."

Resdient forum goer toon mad is running the weekly caption competition so why not try your hand?

 Click here to enter

It was announced on Monday that ex Newcastle United assistant manager Nigel Pearson has been appointed as manager of Southampton.  From the BBC;

Nigel Pearson has been named as the new manager of Southampton in the wake of the 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Bristol Rovers on Saturday.

The former Newcastle assistant manager has signed a rolling contract, and takes over from caretaker duo John Gorman and Jason Dodd.

Gorman and Dodd were put in charge after George Burley left to become the new Scotland boss in January.

The club have confirmed the pair will remain as part of the backroom staff.

The Saints had previously declared Gorman and Dodd would remain in charge for the "foreseeable future," but Saturday's FA Cup defeat caused chairman Leon Crouch to act sooner than expected.

"It was clear that the uncertainty of the management situation was having a detrimental effect on the players and so we have decided to bring in a new man," Crouch told the club website.

"I believe [Pearson] is the right man to steady the ship and get us moving up the table once more.

"He is a winner and will instil that mentality in the players."

However, former Southampton boss Dave Merrington admitted the appointment came as a shock.

"It's come as a surprise to me and it'll certainly come as a surprise to the fans, especially in Southampton's precarious position," he told BBC Radio Solent.

"Obviously it's because of the limited finance, and really, he's inexperienced."

Saints Trust Spokesman Nick Illingsworth also held reservations about Pearson's appointment, believing the fans will need to be convinced about the move.

"The appointment most people were looking for was a 'name' manager, the likes of Iain Dowie, Chris Coleman or even Kevin Blackwell," said Illingsworth.

"We had hoped for someone of that nature. This is a new way forward and it's either going to work spectacularly well or see great failure."

Pearson was brought to Newcastle in 2006 by then-manager Glenn Roeder, and remained there throughout Sam Allardyce's brief reign.

The 44-year-old's previous roles included being assistant manager at West Bromwich Albion, and taking charge of the England under-21s for their 3-3 draw with Italy last year.

Southampton lie 18th in the Championship and host Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday.

Despite recent stories claiming Given will be fit for the match this Saturday, Harper has declared he is ready to go should he get the nod.

“If required and it’s me who is selected against Man United it would be great.

“I will be doing everything possible to stay in the team. But that is something that anybody would expect."

Talking about the recent defeat at the hands of Aston Villa he added,

“We’ve got to show a response.”

“It’s not only got to be for what’s been happening recently, but down at Aston Villa and not least what happened at Old Trafford last month. We had a good 45 minutes at Man United and were then torn open in the second half.

“So we need a response and I am pretty confident we’ll see that.”

The terrible season Newcastle are having on the field has been mirrored off the field in the footballing rich list despite revenue increasing slightly.  From the Journal;

NEWCASTLE United’s drop down the Premier League is being matched by a similar slide in the annual list of the world’s richest football clubs.

United fell to 14th from 13th with revenue of £87.1m in the 2006/7 season – although this was up just over £1m from £85.9m in 2005/6.

Real Madrid remain the world’s richest club with revenue of £236.2m, according to the Deloitte Football Money League which is published today.

The current financial strength of English football is evident with three of the country’s top clubs appearing in the top five for the first time. Manchester United is second, Chelsea is fourth and Arsenal is fifth.

Since the glory days of Champions League football in the season 2002-2003, when the Magpies played Juventus, Inter Milan and Barcelona Newcastle’s standing has plummeted, pretty much in line with their league form.

In that season Newcastle broke into the financial top 10 finishing ninth with turnover of £97.1m. Since then its fall has been pronounced.

The importance of the Champions League cannot be underestimated as it bequeaths the winner £40m and those through to the knock-out stage net £20m.

For Newcastle to progress up the financial league, it will have to secure the Champions League gig, as Vinay Bedi, a stockbroker at Brewin Dolphin office in Newcastle explained.

“In the 1990s I believed that financial success did not have to equate with football success, but that is no longer the case.

“Champions League Football is vital to increase revenue and that can only be achieved by footballing success on the pitch.

“Newcastle are trying to keep the fans happy and better performances will lead to bigger crowds and better TV revenues.

“But there is no hope of Champions League football next season so the club will be hoping that some exciting summer transfers will generate further interest and revenue and this will lead to a return to the Champions League.”

Newcastle’s fall has come at a time of a surge by other English clubs.

Dan Jones, partner in the sports business group at Deloitte, said: “This is the first time that any country has had three clubs in the top five of the Money League.

“Arsenal’s move to the Emirates Stadium has transformed their revenues while Chelsea’s revenue increase sees them return to the top five.”

It was alleged that Barton threw a punch at the Scottish forward during his side's 4-1 defeat at Villa Park.

But after studying video evidence, the Football Association has cleared the 25-year-old of any wrongdoing.

Barton only recently returned to action having spent a week in prison after being charged with assault and affray

The 21-year-old signed a five-year deal at St James' Park in September but was linked with a move to Tottenham in the January transfer window.

"Charles came to talk to me about speculation that there was interest from Spurs," Keegan is reported to have told French newspaper L'Equipe.

"We'll look at it in the summer as the signs are he is not happy here."

N'Zogbia has started every match of Keegan's tenure at the club, but he has often found himself at left-back instead of his favoured position in midfield.

The Frenchman, who joined from Le Havre for £250,000 in 2004, is believed to favour a move to London as that is where his mother and his sister live.

Newcastle winger Damien Duff says the club are facing a relegation battle after a miserable run of results.

The Magpies have taken just two points from a possible 12 since Kevin Keegan took over as manager and are just six points off the relegation places.

"We are in a fight. Relegation hasn't been mentioned in team-talks because we are trying to stay positive.

"But anyone who has got half a brain can see we need to pick up points, and the sooner the better," said Duff.

Their next match is on 23 February against Manchester United, who recently beat them 6-0 at Old Trafford.

"We have got a lot of work to do," added Duff. "We are way off what Newcastle United expects.

"It's probably a good thing we haven't got a game as it gives us two weeks to work on the training ground."

Keegan has admitted the club are precariously placed and has targeted the 40-point mark that should be enough to avoid the drop.

"We are fragile," he said after the loss to Villa. "I believe we have enough to be a Premier League club next season but I'm under no illusions that we need to get to the 40-point mark.

"I have a big challenge. It's not a case of me coming in and waving a magic wand but it's down to me to solve it."

He added: "These players have taken a lot of knocks. We need spirit and togetherness."

Keegan appointed as manager.

 More to follow shortly