Premiership news: Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd cranked up the pressure on his manager Bobby Robson yesterday when he described the side's current form as "not acceptable" and "not on".
Newcastle have lost only two of their last 13 games but two points from a possible nine against Charlton, Leicester and Blackburn over Christmas has left them 16 points behind third-placed Chelsea.
They are still in the UEFA Cup but face a difficult third-round FA Cup tie on Saturday at Southampton, where they have not won since 1972.
Shepherd's ire, however, goes beyond recent displays and has its origins in the Champions League qualifying defeat by Partizan Belgrade.
"What has happened since the start of the season is just not on," said Shepherd. "It is not acceptable to the directors and board of Newcastle or to our supporters and we are not going to put up with it.
"I am talking about everyone here from the manager downwards. The management and players of this football club are given Rolls-Royce treatment but we are not getting Rolls-Royce performances from them in return.
"The board have given the club some of the best players in the country - and those players' top wages - a fantastic stadium and a training complex second to none in Europe. It's about time the board got something back and they started performing on the pitch."
Robson said he understood Shepherd's comments - "I'm not cribbing about them, he has the right to say what he feels" - but the Newcastle manager has been made aware of the increasing tension at St James' Park.
He has spent £68 million since he arrived in September, 1999 and steered Newcastle to fourth and third in the Premiership. But momentum was lost in the Belgrade defeat and Robson is keen to use the January transfer window to freshen a squad undermined by disappointing results and injuries.
Robson said he is "no closer" to bringing in new faces, although it is understood that the 25-year-old Belgian striker Emile Mpenza of Standard Liege has attracted his attention with his impressive form since returning to Belgium following his big-money failure with Schalke in Germany.
