A gutsy performance against the world club champions and quite possibly the best team in the world at present, Manchester United, suggests that we have a more than decent chance of Premier League survival this season. Yes, we were beaten once more 2-1, and gained again nothing from a match that we could have easily pinched a point from. Manchester United, unbeaten in the league for what seems like decades, were firm favourites to not only win on Wednesday night, but to absolutely destroy us, particularly as Edwin van Der Sar was still yet to concede a goal in an almost European record of 13 games. One more match and the record was his.

However, in the ninth minute of this entertaining encounter, new signing Peter Lovenkrands was on hand to pounce at the hands of the Dutch stopper, to put is in 1-0 in front early on. Jonas Guttierez shot from just outside the box, only for Edwin to spill the shot surpirsingly into the path of Lovenkrands. This was good stuff from the struggling geordies and we were unlucky not to go 2-0 up towards the end of the first half when injury-free Obafemi Martins shot inches wide, leaving us wondering what might have been.

Our first half performance was excellent, although Rooney levelled on the stroke of half-time, with a wonderful turn leaving Coloccini stranded. His shot took a slight deflection on the way in, but nevertheless, it was a wonderful goal. After all the effort and optimism of our first half display, the worst was to be expected in the second half, with the Red Devils gaining momentum and passing the ball around with ease. The pressure was on in the second half, although this is a match that we were always heavily involved in at both ends of the pitch. But, as expected, another costly mistake cost us at least a point.

This time it was our other new signing Ryan Taylor who fluffed up. The ball bounced in front of the ex-Wigan man and he failed to deal with it. Yes, it was a difficult ball in to deal with, but all he had to do really was head the ball away away for a corner, or hoof it out as hard as he could. Instead, he panicked and made a cringeworthy attempt to chest the ball back to our new number one Steve Harper. There was nowhere near enough pace on the ball, allowing the Mancs to get a shot in on goal, only for Harper to parry into the path of Dimitar Berbatov. That was it, 2-1, and from then it never really looked like we would pull the game back. Martins and Lovenkrands both had late half-chances, but again we were left with nothing.

This defeat now leaves us just 2 points above the relegation zone, with both Portsmouth and Blackburn below us having a game in hand. If they win them, we will slide further into trouble and into the relegation zone. We currently occupy 16th place in the table on 28 points, just 2 points ahead of second bottom Middlesborough, and 3 points behind 13th and 14th placed Totenham and Sunderland, who also have a game in hand on us. The table really does look bleak for us at the moment, with relegation a real possibility.

What makes relegation even more of a possibility is that our next 3 games are Hull City (away), who just won their first game since November on Wednesday, and then Chelsea and Arsenal at home. Judging from the league table and fixture list,we simply HAVE to beat Hull away, or we could quite simply be doomed. After these three fixtures, we have just 3 vital home games left this season, that also, we have to win. Middlesborough, Portsmouth and Fulham are what we have to beat, and if we play like we did against the league champions, then we will gain these vital points I am sure, ensuring our Premier League status.

The problem with Newcastle United in recent years, is that we have been consist in one thing and one thing only; being inconsistent. We are very much a Jekyll and Hyde team. No matter who is playing or how many injuries we have had, we always seem capable of pulling out a decent performance once in a while against the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal. The thing being, we will the get outplayed and out-fought from the likes of Middlesborough, Fulham and Portsmouth. It is a problem, and a problem that needs rectifying in our final 10 league games of the season, or we will, no doubt, be playing our football in the Fizzy Pop league, the Championship.

This would, of course, be an absolute travesty. But, it has to be said, we have flirted with relegation once too often in recent times, and perhaps this is now our punishment at the hands of Mike Ashley and his cronies. Ashley is a gambler, and how he has gambled with our once great and majestic club. A lack of signings and poor decision making on the management front has left us in the brown stuff, and surely, like the rest of us, they seen it coming.

With Joe Kinnear unlikely to make a return from hospital any time soon after his heart scare, we are left with the somewhat uninspiring management team of former Spurs boys Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood. Yes, Hughton obviously did something right in the getting the lads motivated and playing well for the Man Utd game, but his record as caretaker boss is pitiful to say the least. In 11 games in charge, we have now recorded just one win (against West Brom away), 6 defeats and 4 draws under Hughton and co, it doesn't look good. Fingers crossed, he can get the players playing like they did on Wednesday.

If, and that is a big IF, he can do this, I am sure we will be OK this season, as there are definitely worse teams than us out there in the league (Stoke, Boro, Portsmouth, West Brom, Wigan, Hull, Blackburn). I am optimistic we will survive, but the word 'relegation' still is massive and very much linked with Newcastle United, and will be until the very end of the season, I feel. The dark days of the early nineties seem not too far gone, and a return to lower division football sends a shiver down my spine.

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Howay the lads!!!!