It was an enlightening snapshot of Kevin Keegan’s endearing mantra as a player and, latterly, a manager. When asked whether he would keep faith with Alan Smith, the Newcastle United forward, despite the player’s failure to score a senior goal in 29 attempts, Keegan said: “I still believe in him. If effort, endeavour and honesty won you things then Alan Smith would have medals galore.”

Just as they have never questioned Keegan’s dedication to their club, Newcastle supporters do not doubt Smith’s commitment to an increasingly desperate cause and the majority would not begrudge the feisty England player a first goal of the season.

Yet it is performances, points and goals rather than effort, endeavour and honesty, that will prevent relegation from the Barclays Premier League. Keegan cannot trade on his infectious enthusiasm, optimism and famed man-management forever. Nor can he continue to place his trust in players who make no meaningful contribution to a team who are in alarming freefall.

Smith, like Joey Barton, Steven Taylor, Luis Enrique and even Michael Owen, is gripped by the lack of self-confidence that tends to affect those players unused to the unique demands of an unforgiving relegation battle. All five boast proven quality and an unquestionable desire and yet, despite Keegan’s apparent belief to the contrary, that is not enough in these testing times.

Owen could have scored four goals against a Blackburn Rovers team who secured a late, if undeserved victory, when Matt Derbyshire, a substitute, scored the perfect breakaway goal. In accepting responsibility for a fifth defeat in six matches, Owen remained sanguine in the face of nagging guilt.

“I have probably been the reason why we did not pick up three points,” he said. “I will get some sleep at some stage, but I will be worrying about it. The one thing you get from me is that I will never bottle anything or shy away from a situation and go into my shell.

“I was probably more worried about the situation after the Manchester United match [that Newcastle lost 5-1]. That might sound stupid because we are three points nearer the relegation zone now. I am honest when I say that because we had not looked like scoring goals for a while now. We looked strong [against Blackburn] at the back and were creating chances. So there is optimism.”

That optimism stems from Keegan. But why? They have yet to win a game under their new manager and, as Owen pointed out, Reading, who are in eighteenth, moved to within a victory of Newcastle after their 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on Saturday.

Newcastle have managed only three goals in seven matches under Keegan and have failed to win a league game at St James’ Park since December 8. A trip to Liverpool awaits them and even in their mid1990s pomp the black and white “Entertainers” were prone to losing by the odd goal in seven at Anfield. Yet, amazingly, optimism abounds.

Even Mark Hughes, who avoided the poisoned chalice of St James’ Park management by the skin of his teeth this season, has been duped into believing that all will be well at Newcastle. Despite Blackburn’s victory, and perhaps missing the fact that Newcastle have won only six of their 15 league matches on home soil this season, the Rovers manager said: “I am sure they will have enough and won’t go down this year. I would be very surprised if they did.

“I am surprised there have not been positive results under Kevin Keegan. It has not quite happened yet, but it is only a matter of time. It takes time, everybody knows that. But the longer Newcastle go without getting a positive result, the more apprehension and tension there is in their play.”

That tension was never more noticeable than during a sustained spell of pressure after half-time when the immense frame of Brad Friedel, the Blackburn goalkeeper, kept Owen at bay. As the chances came and went, any semblance of confidence was sapped from a United team unable to make their ascendancy count.

When Derbyshire raced on to David Bentley’s pass in the 90th minute, Steve Harper, the Newcastle goalkeeper, attempted to repeat the heroic blocks that had prevented André Ooijer and Roque Santa Cruz from scoring. It was not to be. There may not have been a Newcastle win in the Premier League since December 15, but where there is effort, endeavour and honesty there is always hope.

Newcastle United (4-4-2): S Harper 8 – H Beye 7, S Taylor 4, A Faye 4, L Enrique 4 – J Milner 6, J Barton 5, N Butt 6 (sub: O Martins, 67 4), D Duff 5 (sub: C N’Zogbia, 78) – M Owen 5, A Smith 4. Substitutes not used: F Forster, C Caçapa, A Carroll. Booked: Beye. Next: Liverpool (a).

Blackburn Rovers (4-4-2): B Friedel 8 – A Ooijer 6, C Samba 7, Z Khizanishvili 7, S Warnock 7 – B Emerton 5 (sub: M Derbyshire, 61 8), D Bentley 7, S Reid 8, M G Pedersen 5 – R Santa Cruz 6, B McCarthy 5 (sub: J Roberts, 61 5). Substitutes not used: J Brown, Tugay Kerimoglu, A Mokoena. Booked: Bentley, Pedersen. Next: Fulham (h).