Manchester City 3, Newcastle United 1.

ON Saturday morning Sam Allardyce's greatest concern was probably how Steve Harper would react to being overlooked in favour of Shay Given in the Newcastle goal.

By 2.45pm it appeared that concern had been overtaken by a recurrence of an old problem, and it wasn't a fresh injury to Michael Owen.

The defensive frailties that Allardyce had prioritised in his to do list when he arrived in the summer returned with avengeance.

City goals numbers one and two should have been avoided and if the home side had won 5-1 it wouldn't have been an injustice to the Magpies.

The defence, however, weren't helped by those in front of them with the City midfield giving their black and white counterparts the runaround.

The elusive Elano and Martin Petrov destroyed Newcastle and even Given's heroics in goal couldn't prevent what was in fact a 3-1 drubbing.

The days of the Newcastle back four, however, turning out after a game to hold their hands up for the debacle are long gone.

Collective responsibility appears to be the in thing and Steven Taylor was an angry man - well a little angry anyway.

"I'm a bit cross," was Taylor's understatement of the day. "Things didn't go well for us all over the park.

"We want to improve our away form. It's three defeats on the trot away from home now and we've got to put that right.

"We worked hard against Arsenal and although our passing wasn't the best, like today, it was something to improve on. That'll happen this week."

Given's return to the first team has seen Newcastle concede five goals but the St James' Park No 1 remains blameless and he was their best player at the City of Manchester Stadium.

"Shay put a good performance in against Arsenal and he was unlucky with the goals on Saturday," said Taylor. "The last one he couldn't do anything about.

"The lads are all disappointed but we've just got to hold our hands up. We've got to forget about it now and look forward.

"We're good enough to come to places like this and get a good result. Last season our away form wasn't the best. It's three on the bounce now and we've got to put that right."

The fact that Newcastle had taken the lead and enjoyed a good share of possession in the first half hour was a distant memory at full-time.

Obafemi Martins controlled Geremi's long-ball just before the half hour and held off Micah Richards in the box before lifting the ball over Joe Hart in the City goal. It could have been two when Hart let a back pass slide under his foot before clearing off the line.

The warning bells had, however, already been rung with an excellent City move in the 12th minute ending with Elano's goalbound volley producing an acrobatic push away from Given.

City always looked threatening and when Stephen Ireland got round the back of Charles N'Zogbia for the first time seven minutes before half-time Petrov slid his cross past Given as Newcastle's defenders looked blankly at each other.

Ireland broke free again soon after from Elano's instinctive pass but Given was equal this time saving with his chest.

Any hopes Newcastle held that they could build on that let off evaporated after less than two minutes of the second half.

N'Zogbia's bizarre header in his own half simply allowed Petrov to gallop clear down the left and his cross was missed by the back-tracking David Rozehnal with Emile Mpenza heading back across Given.

The final goal was a thunderous 76mph free-kick from Elano after Butt needlessly fouled 35 yards out.

Allardyce was unhappy with the performace but more than happy to point to his injury list

"For me at the moment it's about getting Claudio (Cacapa) - who's been huge for us - an experienced defender who's been one of the reasons why we started so well this season fit," said the Newcastle manager.

"There's also Joey Barton, Damien Duff, Shola Ameobi, we've got lots of players missing there haven't we?

"It's the sort of excuses you can look on but there's nothing you can do about it.

"We've got to make sure we manage them (injuries) better. Previous managers have had similar problems to me and that's when results start to suffer.

"The object of the exercise is to get them fit and keep them fit longer than has happened.

"At the moment that's not happening and that was a big factor in Saturday's result."