Keegan: I'm ok with Martins

Newcastle boss Kevin Keegan has insisted that he has not fallen out with Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins after the former Inter Milan player reacted very badly to being substituted against Birmingham on Monday night.

"I haven't got a problem with him," said Keegan. "I wouldn't be happy to fetch a player off and then seeing them doing cartwheels and being pleased to come off.

"You've seen it with Robbie Keane as well the other night. I like that in players. All right, I went over to him afterwards and said I know it hurts when you come off.

"But it was not for his performance. It was just tactical and myself saying 'let's just shore things up here'. Obafemi put a really good stint in.

"He has every right to be disappointed but I think whoever I fetched off at Birmingham would have been disappointed because they certainly were committed.

"There is no problem. We won't fight or fall out."