The 56-year-old is yet to taste victory since his return to St James' Park with last night's 3-0 Barclays Premier League defeat at Arsenal - the Magpies' second loss by that score at the Emirates Stadium inside four days - following a disappointing 0-0 home draw with Bolton in his first game in charge.

Given, 31, was as excited as anyone by Keegan's shock return to the club he very nearly took to the pinnacle of English football before his departure 11 years ago.

However, he is realistic enough to know that the transformation required will take time.

He said: "I think everybody has got carried away a bit. There's a lot of work to be done and Kevin has not got a magic wand.

"It is not going to happen overnight. It would be nice to get a few players in as well, but right now it looks like we are not going to get any in before the transfer window closes.

"The gaffer has said he does not want to bring players in for the short-term for a quick fix, so if people don't arrive in the next day or so, we will have to make do with what we have until the summer time and and get some players in then."

Keegan's bid to sign Middlesbrough's Jonathan Woodgate was all but doomed from the off with his move to Tottenham virtually sealed by the time the Magpies registered their interest, while the club's initial bid for Derby midfielder Giles Barnes was rejected yesterday.

Keegan has admitted he is unlikely now to add to his squad after insisting he will not recruit players for the sake of it, or bring in foreigners who will need time to adapt.

That will leave him trying to turn around a season which has gone alarmingly flat with Habib Beye, Abdoulaye Faye, Geremi and Obafemi Martins still away on African Nations Cup duty for a few weeks yet.

Given said: "It is going to take time for him to get in the players he wants and get his ideas across and hopefully build a stronger squad.

"When you look at a team like Arsenal, the squad they have, they could probably put out two teams for both occasions against us and still have been strong enough to win.

"We are very low in numbers at the minute."

Newcastle's need of a result is increasing by the day with their paltry return of just two points from the last 21 on offer having allowed the chasing pack to close what was once a healthy gap.

They head into Sunday's derby clash with Middlesbrough knowing the fixtures will get no easier in the weeks ahead and looking nervously over their shoulders.

Given said: "There is a danger now of getting sucked into the relegation battle.

"We are very aware of that. We are looking over our shoulders.

"The good thing is that we are not playing Arsenal away every week, even though it seems like it after the last two games.

"We have got a massive game now on Sunday against Middlesbrough. It is a derby and they are in and around us in the table, so it is huge game."