Newcastle defender Habib Beye had admitted no-one can take their place for granted as manager Kevin Keegan attempts to halt an alarming slide.The Magpies are not in action this weekend after they were knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round at Arsenal last month.
However, that enforced period of inactivity has given them time to dwell on their Premier League fortunes, which have slumped depressingly in the last two months.
Newcastle have not won a league game since Joey Barton's late penalty secured a 1-0 victory at Fulham on December 15, a run which has extended to nine matches.
Only three of the last 27 points they have contested have come their way, and that has seen them slip to 13th place in the table, just six clear of the drop zone.
With Manchester United, who beat the then managerless Magpies 6-0 at Old Trafford on January 12, due at St James' Park next weekend, that situation could worsen before it gets better, and Beye claimed there is no room for complacency.
He said: "The manager has choices here. All we can do is stay fit and work hard.
"At the moment, we are going through a lot of difficulties, and we need to have everybody.
"We know that what we need are wins, but competition here is good for the club.
"Nobody can take their place in the team for granted."
Beye played his first game for Keegan in last weekend's 4-1 defeat at Aston Villa after he returned from African Nations Cup duty with Senegal.
Abdoulaye Faye, Geremi and Obafemi Martins are also now all back from the tournament in Ghana - although Martins is battling an ankle injury - to give the manager greater choice.
Beye is keen to put his international disappointment - Senegal went out at the group stage after they lost to Angola and drew with Tunisia and South Africa - behind him and help his club out of their current difficulties.
He said: "I have been playing in Ghana for my country, now I want to play here and do a job for the team and the manager.
"I am confident in myself to do that and I am ready for the fight which lies ahead.
"The way the tournament ended for me was a big disappointment. Now it is important for me to play well for Newcastle.
"We need these two weeks to prepare for the match against Manchester United. It gives us the chance to get our minds on the job and put things in place.
"For people like myself, Oba, Geremi and Abdoulaye, we probably need these two weeks to re-acclimatise after playing in Africa.
"We are already preparing hard for the next league game."
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