High flying Newcastle overcome Rovers

'We have to keep it going. I don't think anyone has mentioned Newcastle as a threat at all and that is great by us. We have to keep doing the right things, stay in the top four or five, then hopefully we will be there at the end of the season.

'Talk of championships and Champions League places is premature for any team at this stage of the season but we have to aim to be up there in contention.'

Saturday's victory over Blackburn was far from Newcastle's most impressive performance of the season, but they recovered from David Dunn's bundled opener to stage a second-half fightback inspired by substitute Kieron Dyer.

The England man did not have a direct influence on French midfielder Olivier Bernard's sweetly struck equaliser in the 65th minute, or Speed's fortunate winner five minutes later, but he returned for his first home game in 10 months to give his side fresh attacking impetus.

As well as the entertaining Bernard, there was also a cameo performance from another substitute - Lomana Lua Lua. Robson insists his squad is not equipped for a serious assault on the title, but the introduction of these new and refreshingly different players keeps the sparkle in the old man's eyes.

He said: 'We sent Olivier on loan to Darlington last season and he came back a first-team player. I'm not sure he knew where Darlington was - I hardly know - but we told him it was for his benefit, persuaded him to go and he went there and loved it.

'I think it is good for young play-ers to go into the Second and Third Divisions and find out about getting clouted every week. He has made enormous strides since. Olivier came back a different player and we know we have a player who can replace Laurent Robert and make him fight for his place.

'Nobody knows what Lua Lua is going to do, including me. You know something is going to happen when you put him on. You don't know what it will be, but something will happen.'

Blackburn manager Graeme Souness waited by the touchline at the final whistle to berate referee Steve Dunn, who booked veteran striker Mark Hughes for failing to move 10 yards from a halfway line free-kick.

His side never recovered from the injury to Matt Jansen, which led to Hughes' first-half introduction.

And, for all Tugay's impressive running, the visitors were primarily fighting for survival after Dyer's arrival.

Souness said: 'How can he book Mark Hughes from 60 yards away? I do not think he treated us fairly today and that's all I want to say on the subject.'