NEWCASTLE - HAD Harry Redknapp succeeded Sam Allardyce as Newcastle United manager last year it is unlikely the Magpies would still be looking over their shoulders at a possible relegation battle.

Yet the highly-rated former Portsmouth coach remained at Fratton Park and St James Park stayed in a state of perpetual flux as first Kevin Keegan, then Chris Hughton and, most recently, Joe Kinnear looked to steady a familiarly rocky ship.

When Redknapp did decide to move on it was to a Tottenham team in an even worse position than the Newcastle side he turned down but both clubs appear on the cusp of a recovery.

On the other hand this was a sixth game unbeaten for Newcastle under Kinnear's increasingly impressive stewardship and it is little wonder the former Wimbledon manager is being linked with a controversial switch to United's fierce rivals, Sunderland.

Indeed both sides head into the traditionally exacting festive period in solid shape and optimistic mood - even though Redknapp was struggling to remain upbeat in the wake of a match his Tottenham team should never have lost.

'We deserved something out of that game without a doubt,' he said. 'We didn't deserve to get beaten, that's for sure. I couldn't foresee any problems after half-time. I just thought it would be a case of waiting for the goal and taking all three points'.

'We got in some good positions but couldn't quite finish them off. Then you're just waiting for something to happen'.

'At half-time I said to the players that I wouldn't take a point here - there's three for the taking if we attack the game in the right way. To come away with nothing was very disappointing'.

'I really felt the crowd was getting frustrated and then Aaron Lennon got to the by-line and crossed to Frazier Campbell and if he'd got a touch it was game over basically'.

'We'll see how it goes in the next couple of weeks. We've got to pick ourselves up again. Of course we're still in a relegation battle - we picked up two points from eight games'.

'We've been on a fantastic run but after that start we're still down there the same as Newcastle. It's the same for everybody from Hull down.'

Kinnear is under no illusions that United still face a testing 2009 but after claiming the Magpies' manager's job on a permanent basis, and losing just two games in 12, the Irishman is in ebullient mood.

'I know that I wouldn't be here if the world wasn't in such a dire financial state,' he admitted. 'I suppose you could say I'm a big fan of the credit crunch. But I had nothing to lose when I took the job on for six weeks and I've still got nothing to lose now that it looks like the club won't be sold for some time yet'.

'I'd like to think we're heading in the right direction. I'm very proud of what I've achieved here. Hopefully things will continue in the same vein. Above all I have a good relationship with the players and I'm getting the best out of them. That's what keeps a manager in his job, more than anything else.' -- REUTERS