[goldenHuddlestone]

Nicky Butt is refusing to contemplate relegation with Newcastle because he believes Glenn Roeders squad are too strong to be embroiled in a season-long scrap. But it is the horror of last seasons relegation with Birmingham City which is inspiring the former Manchester United and England midfielder, who is finally enjoying a rebirth at St James Park.

Butt, who was outstanding in Thursdays UEFA Cup win in Palermo, said he found the rare experience of fighting for survival a humbling one which will drive him for Saturdays visit of fellow strugglers Sheffield United.

He said: "I dont want another relegation on my c.v. although I am confident in the squad and I will put my neck out and say there is no way we will be anywhere near the bottom at the end of the season. The pressure at the bottom is not nice. You get relegated, people in the background who look after you, like the dinner ladies who you are with every day who have to pay their mortgages, start losing their jobs. You dont even think about the ugly grounds youll be playing at in the Championship. That was the hardest thing at Birmingham. If you look at it like that you have a massive responsibility and it was a humbling experience last season. It brought a lot of attention to me and made me very grateful for what I have had over the years and what I want more of. It was strange tasting it. It was not nice, but its on my c.v. now, which I didnt want. A massive club like Newcastle should not be anywhere near where we are in the League. We are not playing as well as we should but it is up to us to get ourselves out of it and give the fans something to cheer about."

Butt may be confident, but Newcastle old boy Keith Gillespie returns with Sheffield United believing that St James Park no longer holds any fear for visitors.

The Northern Ireland winger, back on Tyneside after figuring in the Kevin Keegan era a decade ago, said: "I feel this will be a good time for us to play Newcastle. Years ago it was a very different place for teams to go. I dont think thats the case any more. Well be going there thinking we can get a result."

These are brave words from a player whose side have yet to score an away goal in five attempts since their promotion to the Premiership. But Gillespie believes there is no longer anything to fear from Newcastle as Roeder battles to arrest a slide towards the bottom three.

He added: "They were expected to be up near the top, while most predicted we would struggle. But look where they are - theres pressure on them now. Well go with the attitude that nobody expects us to do anything. Hopefully theyll be tired after Thursday and that could work in our favour."

Butt is likely to be involved for Newcastle against Sheffield United but the clash is too soon for Kieron Dyer, one of five senior players who missed the trip to Sicily to rest. Scott Parker, Damien Duff, Stephen Carr and Celestine Babayaro should all be available. Roeder revealed that Dyer was close to losing an eye in the freak accident on the training ground in which he ran into a pole.

He said: "I dont think any of us really know how close we came to it being really, really serious. It was a part of the warm-up and Im sure everyone has seen those yellow poles stuck in the ground that the players race in and out of. He was the last to go in his team so instead of the poles being straight, they had been knocked to an angle. As he came round the corner and dipped to come back up, he put his eye right on top of one of the poles. The best case scenario was that we would lose him for two or three weeks maximum. The worst case scenario didnt bear thinking about. For a short time he had very blurred vision. Thankfully it has come back now and he is fine. Hes so motivated at the moment, that he has even asked me about whether there was a possibility of coming back and wearing goggles."

[Joe]

How many times have I heard that phrase?

'We are too good to go down'

It is up to the players to make sure they don't go down.

[theo kawala]

Theyve got to show that they are too good to go down.

[scotty1990]

im sure that butt it right becasue we r far 2 good 2 go down...bi=ut anyway we do have alot of times 2 get us up 2 the tp or the middle

[Matt the Thrasher]

Welcome to the site, Scotty

[gmanr26]

I mean..... if you cant score on Sheffield , and Charlton in your own home stadium.... then you have been warned of the threat of relegation.... I think Newcastle is just very unlucky

(1) Micheal Owen
(2) O'Shae Given
(3) bad defence (Bramble)

Duff just not doing anything for them.... Parker has lost steam.....

[theo kawala]

Yer and that thread saying

Newcastle looking good for the future

A lot of fans hope that the future is earlier than later...

[Babyface]

Why does everyone refer to Newcastle as a massive club? Support wise maybe, but they ain't won anything since 1968, and THAT was their first trophy since 1955!

Clubs that were "too good to go down" and did:

Middlesbrough 1989
Nottingham Forest & Crystal Palace 1993
West Ham 2003
Southampton 2005

[goldenHuddlestone]

I don't count Southampton too good to go down

[theo kawala]

I count Leeds were too good to go down in 2004 dont u think?