PATRICK Kluivert is resigned to playing second fiddle to Alan Shearer, despite insisting that he has done all he can to earn his place in the Newcastle side.

Kluivert was given an early chance to impress new boss Graeme Souness in Thursday night's UEFA Cup clash with Hapoel Bnei Sakhnin and, with Shearer warming the bench, he weighed in with both goals in the 2-0 win.

The double made it three goals in two starts following his clinical finish in last month's 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa - a return that would be good enough to earn most players a guaranteed starting berth.

But, when Souness leads Newcastle into Premiership action for the first time at Southampton tomorrow, the Dutch international will find himself back amongst the supporting cast.

Shearer is expected to partner Craig Bellamy at St Mary's and, while Kluivert accepts that the buck stops with Souness, he is beginning to question whether he will ever be able to muscle his way into the first team.

"I can only play the best I can and score the goals when I'm given a chance," protested Kluivert, who signed a three-year deal at St James' when he left Barcelona this summer. "I can't do any more than that.

"I've given the manager something to think about, but I think that's good for the team. It won't be easy for the trainer, but he's the one that's got to make the decisions.

"I'm looking for as many opportunities as I can get. I have shown that I can start and play well, but the decision is the trainer's. It's out of my hands."

Kluivert's Newcastle career has been restricted to just 183 minutes this season, but the former European Cup winner has already struck up a profitable partnership with Laurent Robert.

Both of Thursday night's goals came from crosses from the left winger and, while Kluivert is set to miss out on the south coast tomorrow, Robert will confound those who predicted he would be instantly axed under Souness' hardline regime.

Kluivert has played with Marc Overmars and Philippe Cocu at Barcelona, and accompanied Bolo Zenden and Arjen Robben in the Dutch national side.

But the 28-year-old rates Robert as highly as anyone he has worked with during his illustrious career.

"I played with some great left wingers at Barcelona," said Kluivert. "But Laurent is right up there with the very best. I haven't seen many of his type during my time in the game.

"He is the player with the golden left foot. His crossing is incredible and he's a dream for a striker to play with.

"You know that you have to anticipate his balls into the box, because you can do some damage if you are on the end of them.

"Thursday's second goal was a great example of that - it was a wonderful ball in and I was able to get my head to it first."

Kluivert dominated Newcastle's attacking play against Sakhnin but, while his goalscoring exploits left the Magpies in the driving seat for the return leg in Tel Aviv, United's clean sheet was just as significant.

The shut-out followed hot on the heels of Saturday's 3-0 win over Blackburn and, with former Norway international Ronny Johnsen having signed a short-term deal with the club earlier this week, Souness has already begun to tackle his side's defensive vulnerability.

Tomorrow's trip to Southampton will offer a tough test, with former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips and ex-Newcastle transfer target James Beattie lining up against the Magpies.

Souness has made defensive improvements his number one priority, and United midfielder Jermaine Jenas knows that everyone has a role to play.

"The two clean sheets have been a big factor," said the midfielder. "And I think that's something the manager wanted sorting out quickly.

"From the moment he came, I think he realised that, as an attacking force, we've got the players to trouble anyone.

"But, as a unit, we know we've got to try to tighten up a little bit. That's not just the defenders - that's the whole team, me included."

Newcastle drew 3-3 at Southampton in the penultimate game of last season, but the club's last away win on English soil was a 3-0 FA Cup win at St Mary's in January.

"If we perform anything like we did in the FA Cup, I think we should win," said Jenas. "They're a good side, they work hard for each other, and they've got a few good players.

"With that mix, they'll cause teams a lot of problems. We haven't won down there in the league for 32 years, so that tells you that it's not easy to go there and get a result."