Keegan focused on basement battle

12 April 2012

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has set his side the task of winning the 'mini-league' of teams trying to avoid relegation.

The Magpies travel to fellow Barclays Premier League strugglers Birmingham on Monday night knowing a first victory under their new manager would give them precious breathing space in the battle for survival.

Keegan said: "We are trying to focus on winning the league we are in down at the bottom."

He added: "Regardless of what people say, whether you are at the top of the table or the bottom of the table, you do look at other people's results.

"But the one thing you have always got to focus on is your own. It's no good keeping looking and saying, 'They haven't won a game,' or 'They have drawn there,' if you are not winning games yourself.

"We have talked to the players this week about this being a nine-game season now - 'There are nine games left, these are the fixtures, these are the ones we have at home, these are the ones we have away and this is what we expect of you'.

He added: "We are a big club, we are in a position a lot of people think we shouldn't be in, but the reality is that we are there," said Keegan, who also had a spell as a player with the club.

"We will be looking for a lot of character, a lot of strength and a lot of team-work, getting together and making sure as a unit we are hard to beat.

"If we do that, with the ability we have, we won't have a problem."

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