Newcastle's stars are enduring torture under the sun in the wake of their defeat at Charlton.

Manager Bobby Robson is making his squad suffer after reluctantly allowing them to go ahead with a trip to Spain.

Robson, furious about their performance at The Valley, is putting his players through punishing training schedules at La Manga.

And they are being packed off to their rooms at 7pm, according to chairman Freddie Shepherd, who joined them on the flight to Spain.

Shepherd said: "Bobby has continued to read the riot act since we arrived. This is no holiday. It's been work, work, work. Bobby has got them running their socks off.

"I've hardly seen them because they are out training most of the time and Bobby has insisted that they go straight to their rooms after they have had dinner."

The club has also hit out at reports that they have squandered around £100,000 on their trip, dismissing claims that the bill will amount to six figures as ''grossly exaggerated.''

''Uninformed statements of this nature erode the club's public image and the club is justified in defending itself against such wild accusations,'' said secretary Russell Cushing.

''As far as Newcastle United are concerned, it is a planned and economically pre-budgeted item which will be put forward for approval again in future seasons.

''We are sharing the complex with three other teams - from Norway, Luxembourg and Moscow. It is common practice and good for the squad.''

Robson's mood, however, has been improved by the way Alan Shearer has coped with his return to full-time training.

Shearer is now certain to be fit for next week's home game against Manchester City.

It's crucial that United produce a good performance against City because fans continue to be disenchanted after the Charlton display, which Shepherd yesterday branded as "embarrassing".

Worryingly for cash-strapped United, the influential fans' website nufc.com has hinted that some supporters may not renew their season tickets unless there is an improvement in the final weeks of the season - and believes a few floating fans may even start going to the Stadium of Light.

The website said: "It's odds on that we'll beat Manchester City, but - assuming we do - what will that prove? That we can beat a team of second-rate journeymen who are almost certain to be playing in the Nationwide League come August.

"It will be take a wee bit more than that to stop the less committed of our 44,000 season ticket holders ripping up their renewal forms."