Keegan: We're in relegation battle

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United reduced the gap to leaders Arsenal to three points as Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney scored twice and Louis Saha added a fifth in a one-sided clash at St James' Park.

Keegan said: "I have said all along, we need 40 points this year, and we have got 28. Anybody who has not got 40 points can be relegated - and in the past, teams with 42, 43 have. To get to 40, we need four wins, or three wins and three draws."

Keegan is still waiting for the first win of his second spell as manager on Tyneside six games into his reign, and his team has taken only three points from the last 30 on offer.

That return has left them marooned in 13th place on 28 points, and the manager looking desperately for at least another 12.

Newcastle have now conceded 16 goals and scored only three since Keegan returned, promising to bring the style back to a club that has slumped alarmingly in recent seasons. However, the 57-year-old remains fully committed to his task as he tries to find a way out of the mire.

He said: "I am here for three and a half years. That's what I signed for and that's what I am here for.

"I took a job on. This is a club I love, this is a club I have managed before and this is a club that I want to take back where I think it belongs. My commitment is absolutely 100%. You cannot give any more than that and that's what it is."

Sir Alex Ferguson was delighted with his United side's continuing response to their 2-1 derby defeat by Manchester City a fortnight ago.

He said: "We were all disappointed with the performance against Manchester City and the players did their best to atone for that against Arsenal last week and in midweek against Lyon, which was a very good result. And today (the victory against Newcastle) stresses the urgency to try to do better and be top of the league."