Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has insisted he will not gamble with the club's Barclays Premier League future as he searches for a first victory.
The 57-year-old heads into Saturday's clash with former employers Fulham knowing three points are a must if the Magpies are to avoid a tense finish to the season, and even then, the job will be by no means done.
However, Keegan, who fielded three strikers - goalscorer Michael Owen, Mark Viduka and Obafemi Martins - in the 1-1 draw at Birmingham on Monday night, will not adopt a gung-ho approach to achieving safety.
He said: "You know me, but you have got to understand there are times when you need to be cavalier, and there are times when you cannot afford to be in this division.
"Even last time (he was Newcastle manager), despite what people say, we still went away and got drab 0-0 draws - not many, I think one, but we did get them, and a couple of 1-1s where we shut shop up. We could do that."
Newcastle have now played nine games since Keegan's return to St James' Park, and have won none of them.
He has three draws to his name - against Bolton and Middlesbrough at home and Birmingham at St Andrews - and his side has taken just four points from a possible 39 since they last tasted victory on December 15, perhaps significantly, at Fulham.
The Londoners, who gave their own survival hopes an unexpected boost with a 1-0 win over Everton last weekend, have not collected all three points on the road since September 9, 2006, a run of 31 games.
But their last league win came at St James', when late goals from Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra overhauled Scott Parker's opener in a smash and grab raid.
The Magpies cannot afford a repeat this time around and Keegan knows the supporters who traipsed away disappointed 18 months ago would leave the stadium with even darker thoughts should there be a repeat.
He said: "The fans have always got an important role at a club as big as this.
"When you have got 50,000 of them in your stadium, then you do need their support at a time like this.
"There have been times in the past when I have been here when we have got the crowd going as a team, but sometimes, the team needs the crowd needs to get them going.
"We are maybe a little bit in that situation at the moment."
Keegan made changes at Birmingham with Alan Smith, Damien Duff and Charles N'Zogbia making way, but he will not allow personalities to deflect him from his mission.
He said: "When you look at the names on our team-sheet, we shouldn't be down the bottom, but we are and they have got to show another side to their character."
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