Toon focused despite Wise arrival

The Magpies, knocked out of the FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium just three days ago, are back for more in the Barclays Premier League.

In between those challenges, Keegan on Monday learned former England midfielder Wise is to quit as Leeds manager to join him on Tyneside - in an executive capacity.

At Newcastle, meanwhile, Keegan has simply been trying to work out how to beat Arsenal.

Part of the solution seems to have been to tell Toon striker Shola Ameobi to follow in chief Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor's footsteps.

Adebayor scored twice at the weekend, and Keegan has ordered his own African-born front man to study the Togo international's game.

He said: "If you look at Adebayor, what I would say to Shola Ameobi is what I saw of Adebayor a year and a half ago when he first came on to the scene is what I saw of Ameobi when he first came on to the scene.

"That guy has kicked on and Shola has had injuries and other little problems, I guess, but he is 26 now and I don't think it is too late.

"Everywhere you go when you see a performance like that, you can say to a player, 'He is a similar size to you. Has he got more ability than you?'.

"Well, it would look so at the moment, but truthfully, I think Shola has got a lot of stuff packaged there that hasn't quite come out properly yet."