LONDON (Reuters) - It is five weeks since Kevin Keegan returned to Newcastle United as manager but the inspirational qualities that marked his previous stint at the club are still nowhere to be seen.

He is still looking for a first victory since replacing Sam Allardyce and the Magpies host Manchester United on Saturday (1715 GMT) in the middle of an alarming tailspin that has plunged them headlong towards the Premier League's relegation zone.

Without a league win for more than two months and on the back of a 4-1 thrashing at Aston Villa, Geordie fans who expected an instant return to free-flowing, attacking football would now happily accept boring 1-0 victories.

Sitting 13th in the table, Newcastle are only six points above the bottom three and a visit from a United side desperate to close a five-point gap at the top is hardly ideal for a side Keegan admits is low on confidence.

At Old Trafford in January, just after former boss Sam Allardyce departed but before Keegan returned, Newcastle were hammered 6-0.

"It was a terrible game for the fans, the club and the players... Manchester United were brilliant but to lose 6-0 was embarrassing," Newcastle keeper Shay Given told the club's Web site (www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk) this week.

The capitulation at Villa was not much better but Keegan believes that a two-week break to galvanise his troops and the visit of United can provide the spark that has been sadly missing since the start of the season.

"It's a big ask to beat Man United but it's possible," Keegan told the club's Web site (www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk) this week. "We've had a good two weeks together and hopefully that will show with a good performance in front of our own fans on Saturday night."

"We've beaten them before and have to believe we can do it again," added Keegan, who was in charge in October 1996 when Newcastle thrashed United 5-0 at St James' Park.

United, beaten 2-1 by Manchester City at home in their last league game, bounced back with a 4-0 FA Cup final victory over Arsenal followed by Wednesday's 1-1 draw against Olympique Lyon in the Champions League.

With league matches running out, United manager Alex Ferguson knows his side cannot afford any more slips if they are to overhaul Arsenal and retain their title.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have won seven of their last eight league matches and can pull eight points clear if they win their early kickoff at fourth from bottom Birmingham City on Saturday.

Birmingham should provide far less resistance than European champions AC Milan, who held the Gunners to a 0-0 draw in the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Third-placed Chelsea are in the League Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday but the teams below them are all in action as the scrap for European places hots up.

Liverpool, who breathed life into their season with a 2-0 defeat of Inter Milan on Tuesday in the Champions League, host Middlesbrough on Saturday when victory could move them above city rivals Everton into fourth spot.

Everton face a testing examination of their credentials on Monday at seventh-placed Manchester City, sixth-placed Aston Villa go to Reading on Sunday while FA Cup quarter-finalists Portsmouth are at home to Sunderland on Saturday.

(editing by Justin Palmer)