NICKY Butt has warned Newcastle United they cannot skimp on quality during the January sales after apparently missing out on Jonathan Woodgate. With his manager resigned to losing the Middlesbrough star to Tottenham Hotspur, Butt is anxious to see reinforcements arrive before Thursday’s midnight transfer deadline – but only if they are players who can improve the Magpies’ starting XI. Woodgate is reported to have passed a medical in north London yesterday and a three-and-a-half-year contract is expected to be signed imminently. Saturday’s 3-0 FA Cup defeat at Arsenal left Newcastle with their season effectively over before their second trip to the home of the Gunners in four days, for tomorrow’s league clash. On hearing the news that 28-year-old Woodgate is bound for White Hart Late, Butt did little to hide his frustration. “It’s disappointing a player like Jonathan does not look like he is coming, but I’m sure the manager has plans in place just in case that happened,” said the midfielder, whose 88th-minute own goal rounded off a miserable afternoon on Saturday. “He will have all the staff working on it and there are meetings all the time about who is being targeted. If Jonathan doesn’t want to come that is up to him. It’s a tight schedule for Kevin to get the deals done because he arrived late. But I’m sure he will be working hard on getting players.” The ex-Manchester United player (pictured right) knows Keegan cannot resort to panic buys, however. “It’s no good getting players in who are no good to get into the team, we need players who can play week in and week out,” he warned. Despite inspiring the Magpies to arguably their best performance of the season when watching from the St James’s Park stands against Stoke City, Keegan has failed to win either of his first two games in charge. The other was a 0-0 draw with Bolton Wanderers. Butt felt the team’s approach was partly to blame for defeat on Saturday. “We started well and had a couple of chances but then we lost all of our shape and collapsed, basically,” he explained. “We were too cavalier and that’s impossible to do when you are at the Emirates. We paid the price in the end. It’s frustrating we have not had the results to start right under the new manager, but we are all still laughing and joking in training. “The manager has brought belief back into the team. You have to remember that you can come to Arsenal at any stage and struggle. We did look okay but then after the third goal went in we all went to bits and Arsenal showed what a good team they are. “The manager has been very chatty, very bubbly around the place. He speaks to you individually and tells you what he expects of you. It’s disappointing at the moment because of the results we have had but we are all feeling very positive.” Keegan retains an interest in Sevilla target Pascal Chimbonda and is understood to be monitoring Derby County midfielder Giles Barnes, but the prospect of no senior players moving to Tyneside this month is growing. “It won’t be the end of the world if I get nobody,” said Keegan after the Arsenal game. “I think we’ve lost Woodgate, I would be delighted if I was wrong and I don’t think it’s set in stone yet but that’s my honest opinion. I would have been quite happy just to have him in this transfer window, that would have been enough for me. “Spurs can offer the chance to play in a cup final, they’re definitely in Europe this year and they’re definitely in Europe next year because they’re playing Chelsea in the Carling Cup final. They can offer him that, which we can’t – unless we get a ferry!” NEWCASTLE’S match with Birmingham City at St Andrew’s has been switched to Monday, March 17, (8pm kick-off) for live TV coverage on Setanta Sports. | 
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