SCOTT Parker believes Newcastle United have added a steely backbone to their silky skills - and ranks the Magpies strongest XI as good as either Manchester United's or Arsenal's.

The midfielder has been a revelation in his anchor role this season, and Sunday's 3-0 win at West Bromwich was Graeme Souness' side's fifth clean sheet in their last seven games.

With Steven Taylor getting better with every game in central defence and Shay Given as dependable as ever, Parker insists that, Chelsea aside, Newcastle have no-one to fear in the Premier League.

"Newcastle were known as a bit of a flamboyant team who could score goals but we've got that bit of backbone now which you need as a team," said Parker.

"As well as the scoring ability you need to know the door can stay shut at the other side. You need that solid backbone, a solid platform.

"Maybe two years ago Newcastle would have been 2-0 down (against West Brom), but we have a world class goalkeeper in Shay and I help out with the back four.

"You need to know what you're good at. Now you're seeing both sides of Newcastle when maybe you'd only see one side and that was the one going forward.

"I believe we're as good as Manchester United and Arsenal. On our day I believe we can beat anyone. We have to be up there and finishing where they have."

Parker is less than impressed by what he has seen in the Premiership this campaign and, despite their indifferent start to the current campaign Newcastle find themselves just three points behind sixth-placed Manchester United.

The Lambeth-born 25-year-old is refusing to rule out a Champions league place this term, and can see no reason why Freddy Shepherd's minimum target of the top-six cannot be achieved.

"Key in the league this year is back-to-back results," said Parker, a £6.5m signing from Chelsea in the summer.

"I don't think it's an absolutely amazing league this year, I think you have Chelsea but everyone else can beat whoever. A couple of good results and you're looking the right way.

"The money which has been invested in Newcastle we shouldn't be ending up 14th and in the bottom half of the table.

"We need to progress and look at least a top six finish."

The return of Kieron Dyer to the fray at the Hawthorns for the first time since August was a major boost for his team-mates, leaving Souness with the selection headaches he has yearned for all season.

"I think we've shown from day one that when we get our players back we're going to be a good force," said Parker.

"You can't bring as many players as we have done in the summer and expect it to all happen at once.

"You can't just go and put six or seven players together and expect it to happen.

"We have to have a gameplan and stick to it.

"Throughout the season there has been steady progression and some good things to show and West Brom was a massive plus for us.

"I think anyone watching at home would think this is a good team here. We've got as potent an attack as anything in the Premiership.

"We mixed it up. You saw both sides of us.

"In the first half we did the gritty, dirty stuff you sometimes need to do in football and then in the second half we wore them down and have been clinical with Michael (Owen) up front."

Meanwhile, Laurent Robert, is back doing what he does best - paying fines to football clubs.

The Newcastle man, on loan at Portsmouth, was fined by the club yesterday after refusing to be a substitute in Saturday's match at Sunderland.

Pompey boss Alain Perrin could only name four players on the bench after his fellow Frenchman ruled himself out due to injury after the team was named.

Robert has apologised over the incident and admitted he should have brought the matter to light earlier.

He has been fined an undisclosed amount.

Chairman Milan Mandaric said: "Laurent has apologised to the manager, his team-mates and me. His biggest apology, however, is to the fans.

''The player knows he has made a mistake and everyone is entitled to make one of those.

''He has received a club fine which he accepts along with the fact that there should have been much better communication with the medical team and, thus, manager, at a much earlier time."

The Frenchman's Newcastle carrer ended expensively - fined four weeks wages (around £140,000) after firing two angry broadsides just days before he departed Tyneside.

''I am very sorry for the team, players and the manager for any misunderstanding,'' Robert said after his latest indiscretion at the Stadium of Light.

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