NEWCASTLE are well and truly United again - and it's all thanks to Bobby Robson.

The dispirited, disillusioned crew who threatened mutiny during Ruud Gullit's disastrous voyage to the bottom of the league, are happy now that old hand Robson is at the helm.

Injuries may be a seemingly perennial problem, but everything else is shipshape at St. James' Park and Warren Barton, who has played under four managers in his five years on Tyneside, insists the rejuvenated Geordies can once more set sail for Europe next season.

Right-back Barton, a £4m Kevin Keegan signing from Wimbledon, was part of a four-man defensive unit - along with Alain Goma, Aaron Hughes and Didier Domi - which against Tottenham embodied the new feeling of "togetherness'' engendered by the Robson regime.

"There's a great spirit in the dressing room at the moment,'' said Barton, who also served under Kenny Dalglish.

"Bobby grabbed the club by the scruff of the neck because it was in a terrible position when he came here nearly a year ago.

"He's sorted everybody out and he's made the spirit good. The togetherness wasn't there before and Bobby has brought it back. The idea of eating together and travelling together as a team, these things help you unite. We knew we had to pull together and there's no-one better to bring that about than Bobby Robson.

"There's a long way to go to get back to how we were five years ago. There are definitely similar signs to then, but this is Bobby Robson's team, not Kevin Keegan's. We've set ourselves some targets. We want to get back into Europe because, when you look at the stadium we've got now and the fans, this club deserves to be in Europe.

"There've been a lot of changes and it's nice to have some stability. The manager is hopefully going to be here a long time and if things keep going like this, the possibility of getting back into the Champions' League in the next 12 months or so is not out of the question.

"We're all comfortable with the manager, the chairman - Freddy Shepherd - is happy with him and you can tell what the fans think of him because they're singing his name.

"He's helping to make St. James' a fortress again. We've won our first two home games and scored five goals, and we're looking to score 50 or more at home like we did in league and cup last season.

"It's also pleasing to keep a clean sheet. Our two centre-backs, Alain and Aaron, were by far the best two players on the pitch.

"And in Kieron Dyer and Nobby Solano in midfield, we've got two of the best I've played with - up there with the likes of David Ginola and Keith Gillespie.''

Dyer and Solano combined to set up United's 66th-minute clincher for Argentinian striker Daniel Cordone.

The £500,000 signing from Racing Club Buenos Aires, who is with United for a year with a view to a permanent deal, grabbed his second goal in successive games after scoring in the 3-2 win against Derby last Wednesday.

Spurs keeper Neil Sullivan could only palm Solano's low cross and Cordone, nicknamed "Wolfman'', showed his teeth to fire home.

A minute later, Peruvian winger Solano almost undid Sullivan again with a long-range chip which hit the underside of the bar before Cordone wasted his chance of a second by blazing wide of the angle.

Spurs' uncertain defending was evident when United went ahead in the ninth minute, Gary Speed springing the offside trap on the end of Hughes' long ball to execute an exquisite lob over the stranded Sullivan.

But Spurs almost drew level seven minutes later when Darren Anderton's shot looped beyond keeper Shay Given and hit the far post.

United skipper Alan Shearer, chasing his 200th League goal, was out of luck on the half hour when Spurs counterpart Sol Campbell headed off the line.

But Newcastle let nerves get the better of them for a time in the second half and Oyvind Leonhardsen, who scored Spurs' goal in last Tuesday's 1-1 draw at Middlesbrough, had a shot blocked on the line by Barton before Steffen Freund suffered similar frustration courtesy of Hughes with a follow-up attempt.

Former Newcastle favourite Les Ferdinand, who received a huge cheer from the home crowd when he replaced "dead leg'' victim Steffen Iversen shortly before half-time, should have pulled one back for Spurs in the 72nd minute but headed over.

"Apart from that, we didn't allow them many opportunities,'' said Robson. "It's a massive result for us.'

Goals: Speed (9 mins, 1-0); Cordone (66, 2-0).

Attendance: 51,573.

Referee: David Elleray (Harrow).

NEWCASTLE (4-4-2): Given 7; Barton 7, GOMA 8, Hughes 7, Domi 7; Solano 8, Dyer 7, Speed 8, Glass 7 (Griffin 75 mins); Cordone 8 (Coppinger 79 mins), Shearer 7. Subs (not used): Gavilan, Charvet, Harper (gk).

TOTTENHAM (4-4-2): Sullivan 6; Carr 7, Perry 6, S Campbell 7, Thatcher 5 (Taricco 71 mins); ANDERTON 7, Sherwood 6, Freund 6, Leonhardsen 6 (Young 71 mins); Rebrov 5, Iversen 5 (Ferdinand 40 mins, 6). Subs (not used): Clemence, Walker (gk).

MAN OF THE MATCH

Alain Goma - tower of strength in United defence.