Newcastle United's flagging players are desperate for Terry Venables to be called in as a firefighter.

The Sun says the Toon players do not believe the acting-management duo of Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood can keep them up.

And, with only eight games left they have called for a respected figure with significant managerial experience to work a miracle.

A club insider said: "The players have all been talking about how they need someone of real authority to sort it out.

"There is no leader since Joe Kinnear took ill. It is not that they don't respect Hughton as a coach because they do, but he is no manager."