CONFIDENT Craig Bellamy is guaranteed to receive abuse from the Ipswich fans tonight and Newcastle boss Bobby Robson has no fears about it affecting the player's performance.

Bellamy spent four years at the Tractor Boys' arch-rivals Norwich before leaving for Coventry last year in a £6.5m deal.

Robson believes this evening's Worthington Cup fourth round clash at St James' Park will give his striker the perfect platform to send Newcastle through to the next stage.

"He'll love it," insisted Robson, who signed him from the Sky Blues in the summer for £6m. "As Kevin Keegan would say, he'll love it.

"He's got the arrogance to love it and I could not put it across as any other expression. He'll love it.

"He will do his talking on the pitch, as he always does. In fact I'm trying to stop that part of his game as you all know!"

Bellamy scored 32 goals in 72 League appearances for the Canaries, one strike of which was the only goal in a 1-0 win over Ipswich.

The fiery Welsh international has already scored four goals in the Worthington Cup and Robson hopes to see that type of form continue against the club he used to manage.

The Magpies chief led the Portman Road outfit to European glory in the 1980-81 UEFA Cup and still holds fond memories of those remarkable nights.

Ipswich, who sit bottom of the Premiership, come to the North-East on the back of a 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough and a 1-0 win over Inter Milan in the UEFA Cup. After finishing fifth in the top-flight last season, have found it hard to reproduce that League form this term.

However, cup exploits have been a much better indicator as to the squad formulated by manager George Burley.

And Robson, who had Burley as a player while in the hot-seat at Ipswich, is backing the Scot to get it right again.

"George has been there for seven years now," said Robson, who does not believe Burley is about to become the 24th manager to part company with his club. "He is working at the top level now and it's all about learning about that.

"George had a great year last year, he is a young manager, he was a bright player and he is obviously trying to get his team to play the way he did. "And he is making a decent success of it, for sure. On the evidence of their last two matches they are playing much better now and are playing with more confidence.

"Ipswich are steeped in solidarity and they apply common sense, no panic prevails there. They have hardly sacked a manager, they're an excellent club." Robson has Laurent Robert doubtful with a hip injury and Robert Lee has picked up an ankle knock ahead of the clash but both could play. Keeper Shay Given (shoulder) is likely to be on the bench with Steve Harper handed a rare start between the posts. Ipswich's new striker Marcus Bent is ineligible

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