Get ready for an emotional rollarcoaster, Keegan warns Newcastle fans

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has pleaded for patience as he attempts to inject confidence back into his players.

The Magpies entertain derby rivals Middlesbrough on Sunday still waiting for their first goal under Keegan and having managed only a single draw in his three matches in charge to date.

The fact that two of those fixtures have been away at high-flying Arsenal is perhaps a mitigating circumstance, although that has simply exacerbated a dreadful run for the Tyneside club.

They last won a Barclays Premier League game on December 15 at Fulham, and that by way of a hotly-disputed late penalty.

Since then, they have taken just two points from a possible 21 - and those from Derby and Bolton at home - and have not scored a league goal in 395 minutes of football since Nicky Butt's strike in the 2-1 defeat at Chelsea on December 29.

Keegan, who returned to St James' Park for a second spell in charge earlier this month, said: "People tend to forget how we moved in last time.

"I think we won seven and lost seven of our 14 games left. That was enough to get us out of the relegation zone at that time in the division below.

"You do need patience. We need the patience to wait for some of our players who have had injuries to get back to full fitness, for the ones to come back from suspension - and we have still got people to come back from the African Nations Cup.

"We do need patience and the Newcastle fans will show that. You can lose that patience if, after a while, the things you are seeing aren't really what you expected.

"That's when people start to get frustrated and show it."

That patience will be tested further, however, if Newcastle fail to make an impression this weekend having been reeled in by Boro and arch-rivals Sunderland, who now lie only two and four points respectively behind them after difficult spells of their own.

Indeed, a win for the Teessiders would see them leap-frog their hosts, and that is a psychological blow Keegan and his players will be desperate to avoid.

The manager said: "The players individually at this football club are all top-class players.

"If we can get them playing as a team, that would be a strong team.

"That is the secret of football. It is not getting the players individually playing well - that helps - but to get them to play collectively well and then the individuals to make the difference.

"That could be quite a few at this club. Damien Duff is a player who can turn a game; certainly Charles N'Zogbia can; I think James Milner can; certainly Michael Owen can and Mark Viduka can. It doesn't have to be the same player every week."

Keegan will hope former Boro striker Viduka has shaken off a calf injury and full-back Jose Enrique has recovered from a similar problem, while Emre is available after serving a three-match ban.