Newcastle United boss Kevin Keegan has dismissed claims he's been out of the game too long to make an impact in the Premiership.

He said: "I don't think being out of the game has had an effect. Yet until we win a game, people can fire anything at you.

"You should do a survey among managers who go to live games. Ask Arsene Wenger how many live games he watches. It would be interesting. I don't know but I watched an awful lot of TV.

"I knew all about the players here obviously, I knew all about the players at Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal.

"There are the odd one or two - Wigan and places like that - when you do your homework a little bit more. There is no lack of knowledge and I have tremendous knowledge around me as well so I don't think it matters.

"If I had gone into a club I did not know, it would have been much more different.

"You learn about the players - any manager has to learn about the players - and you hope you are going to get an initial response. Everything people label you when you are not getting results you have got to take.

"You leave yourselves open to that criticism but we are the ones who have the ammunition to fight back, we are the one who can reverse the stories."