BOBBY ROBSON has drawn on his experience of Newcastle United's nightmare start two years ago to offer hope and encouragement to under-pressure Middlesbrough counterpart Steve McClaren.

The Magpies' 4-1 victory at the Riverside leaves McClaren still searching for his first point in management after four defeats in a row.

But Robson, who transformed Newcastle's fortunes following a disastrous opening to the 1999-2000 campaign under Ruud Gullit, has urged the Teesside supporters to remain faithful.

"I would tell the Middlesbrough fans to stick with Steve," said Robson, who had a quiet word with his opposite number after Saturday's game.

"He's a fine chap and a good coach. It's different for him now being the man in charge. I reminded him that, when I took on the job at Newcastle, we had one point from seven games - yet we finished 11th.

"Boro have none from four and that is what he can work from. I saw him after the match and I just told him to keep going. They will win on Tuesday (against Northampton Town in the Worthington Cup) and then things will turn."

Robson admitted his side were second best until Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer was shown the red card for bringing down Laurent Robert just after the half-hour mark.

"I did think they played really well for 30 minutes - they were a real handful," said Robson.

"And when they got their penalty with the score at 1-1, it could have gone either way."

The game's two penalty decisions proved controversial. Despite nearly identical incidents, Schwarzer was sent off and Newcastle keeper Shay Given only received a yellow card for bringing down Paul Ince. But Robson, who had not had chance to see replays of the incidents, thought referee Graham Poll was correct in his interpretation.

"If he has given two perfect decisions he should be applauded - we are always knocking referees," said the former England boss.

"But this might be a time when he has got it right."

Newcastle now go into Wednesday's Worthington Cup clash at home to Brentford buoyed by the derby win. Skipper Alan Shearer is likely to be in action again after scoring twice against Boro in his first start for six months following knee surgery.

And the 31-year-old striker, who played 81 minutes, was hailed by his manager for his comeback performance.

"I'm happy he had 80 minutes and scored two goals," said Robson. "He can hold the ball up - everything sticks to him like glue - brings people into the game and he showed good movement.

"Alan did well for his first full match. He was playing against Gareth Southgate, who is not the worst defender in the world.

"I had a long chat with Alan on Friday, person to person. I told him that it might take him a month to get back to himself and that I might have to keep taking him off.

"I'm not affecting his reputation or his credibility. It's purely because I want him to be right and he accepted that and said 'you're the boss'.

"I weighed up leaving him on until the end with the way the game was shaping up, but we have another game on Wednesday and I don't want to take every ounce out of him."

Robson also had a warning for the rest of the Premiership by insisting that flying French winger Laurent Robert, who was involved in all four Newcastle goals and scored one himself, can only get better.

He said: "We have to get the ball to him, but he has to learn how to get the ball himself. We can improve him and make him a better player; we just have to make him the finished article and he has come to the right club to do that.

"He made the third goal look easy when it certainly wasn't."

Meanwhile, Robson is poised to seal the signing of Robert's former Paris St. Germain teammate Sylvain Distin.

The centre-back is expected to join United on loan with a view to a permanent deal which could cost £3m.

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