Don't panic! says Ferguson after 3-0 defeat by Newcastle

ALEX FERGUSON has promised not to panic in the wake of a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of a rampant Newcastle. It was Manchester United's second successive Premier League defeat following their 3-2 reverse to Blackburn at the weekend, and the Red Devils now trail Manchester City by three points with Tottenham breathing down their neck in third place.

Yet the United manager was in bullish mood after the game, telling reporters the title race is always a marathon and never a sprint. "It's no time to panic," said Fergie. "We have experience to cope with losing a game. When you lose a game at this time of the year, you don't want it, but it can happen... We have to get the show on the road for the run-in in March and April in particular."

Nonetheless Ferguson will be alarmed by the manner of the defeat – United's first away from home this season and also the first time his boys have failed to score in a Premier League match. In addition United have now leaked six goals in two games, though Ferguson stressed few defences could have done anything about the first two Newcastle strikes. "Any goalkeeper would have had no chance. They were fantastic strikes and you have got to give the players credit for that."

Demba Ba and Shola Ameobi were the terrorisers-in-chief of the United defence with the strapping Africans giving youngster Phil Jones and veteran Rio Ferdinand a torrid evening. It was Ba who gave the Magpies the lead on 33 minutes when he latched on to a flick from Ameobi and lashed the ball past Anders Lindegaard for his 15th goal of the season.

It was only the second goal the Danish keeper had conceded for United in eight appearances but he was fishing the ball from his net again on 47 minutes after Yohan Cabaye's magnificent 30-yard free kick.

The visitors' miserable evening reached its gruesome climax on 90 minutes when Phil Jones put into his own net, and Ferguson was later forced to admit that United's ‘noisy neighbours' are now in the driving seat. "Of course it's advantage Man City," he replied when asked if the Sky Blues were title favourites. "They played on Tuesday and won their game while we have played tonight and have lost ours, so it's advantage to them."

Worryingly for Ferguson, Ameobi revealed that Newcastle had watched United lose 3-2 to Blackburn and identified the best way to unlock their defence. "We saw what Blackburn did a few days ago and we thought that was something we could work on with our height," explained the 6ft 2in Nigerian-born England Under 21 striker. "We had an aerial plan and it worked for us."

With the chink in the United so ruthlessly exposed, Ferguson will come under increasing pressure to spend some cash in this month's transfer window to repair the damage. ·