GRAEME Souness admitted he needed four top-class additions if last night's Intertoto Cup defeat to Deportivo La Coruna was not to prove representative of Newcastle's season.

The Magpies, who edged into an aggregate lead at one stage, crashed out of European competition after a demoralising 2-1 defeat at St James' Park.

Alan Shearer was once again forced to operate as a lone striker in the wake of Souness' failed attempts to sign a new forward this summer, while the Scot's inability to name seven substitutes for the fourth game in a row highlighted the paucity of options currently available to him.

There is no European football to worry about now, of course, but domestic success is likely to be every bit as absent unless Souness is able to capture his long-term targets before Newcastle travel to Arsenal in ten days time.

"How many players do we need? As we speak, four," said the Magpies manager, who will now attempt to organise two more pre-season games for next week.

"There's nothing I can say at this time.

"We have to wait and see what happens over the next few days. The chairman is aware of where we need to strengthen."

Souness is expected to complete the signing of Fulham winger Luis Boa Morte before the start of the new Premiership season but another target, Fenerbahce striker Nicolas Anelka, is less likely to be arriving on Tyneside.

"I am not selling him (Anelka)," said Fenerbahce president, Aziz Yildirim last night.

"However, he does have a 20 million Euro release clause in his contract and that is the only way he can leave at the moment."

Given Newcastle are understood to have bid £4m for the former Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City striker, Fenerbahce's £13.85m valuation means the two clubs are currently poles apart.

With Nicky Butt expected to join Birmingham on a season-long loan today - Souness insisted last night the move was still to be completed - last night's defeat means the Magpies manager can now focus his attentions on adding to his squad.

The result also means his players have fewer distractions as they look to improve on last season's disappointing 14th-place finish.

"It means we can fully concentrate on the job in hand," said Souness. "Only next May will we be able to say whether or not it has been beneficial to go out at this stage.

"Common sense tells you that if you have a small squad of players, the fewer games you play, the better chance you have of being a success."

* Sven-Goran Eriksson believes it would be ''good for England'' if Michael Owen signs for Manchester United.

The England striker, who was not a first-team regular at Real Madrid last season, has dropped even further down the Bernabeu pecking order following the summer arrivals of Brazilian pair Robinho and Julio Baptista.

Real Madrid are prepared to let him go and Owen revealed he has had ''brief dialogue with three or four Premiership clubs'' about a possible return to England. Newcastle are among the admirers but Eriksson said: ''For him to work every day with Wayne Rooney can only make England better. Owen has been a great player for many years wherever he has played.''

Read more about Newcastle United FC here.