Keegan is yet to win a league game on his return to Newcastle

The Magpies are six points clear of the drop zone and have not won a league game since Keegan took over in January.

But Shearer said: "The run of results suggest they are going to get involved in a scrap, but they are a much better team than those around them."

And he felt Keegan would remain at the helm, adding: "I think they will give Kevin as much time as he needs."

Keegan returned for a second spell in charge at St James' Park last month following Sam Allardyce's dismissal after only eight months at the helm.

I still think they are a much better team than those around them at the bottom Alan Shearer

Allardyce won just eight of his 24 games as manager, but Keegan has failed to turn round the club's fortunes and has lost four and drawn two of his six games in charge.

That sequence of results leaves Newcastle 13th in the Premier League.

But Shearer, who rejected the chance to join Keegan's backroom staff, believes his old club has enough quality to avoid a relegation battle.

"Everything boils down to results and they are not getting them at the moment, but when they do I don't think they will have any chance of going down," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Keegan admits it will be hard to turn defeats into victories.

He watched his side lose 5-1 at home to Manchester United on Saturday and sees no let up in the quality of opposition over the weeks ahead.

606: DEBATE Newcastle are displaying classic relegation form, and it is only the points obtained under Sam Allardyce which are keeping them afloat Erdinger

He told BBC Radio Newcastle: "Someone said to me 'You've had tough fixtures'.

"But Sunderland, Fulham, Blackburn next weekend are not easy fixtures. What I will say is you don't play teams like Manchester United every week."

The former England boss refused to lay blame on his players after the thumping weekend loss.

"I don't think the players gave up in any way, shape or form. I think their effort was admirable considering how tough it was for them," he said.

"There was a stage in the second half that every time the ball ricocheted it went to a red shirt. That's how it is sometimes."

Meanwhile, Shearer said he was saddened to hear the news that Newcastle legend Paul Gascoigne had been sectioned under the Mental Health Act last week.

"I feel for Gazza, I really do," he said. "He just loves the game of football so much and whilst he was playing it he had something to focus on and work to and train for.

"He hasn't got a lot to do his life and it's become very frustrating for him. I really wish him well because, deep down, he is a really nice person inside."

Sport Relief challenge

Shearer has also announced that he will be doing a charity bike ride to raise funds for Sport Relief.

He will be joined by Match of the Day 2 presenter Adrian Chiles and the duo are attempting to ride from Newcastle to London in just two days.

They leave St James' Park on 13 March and aim to pedal into BBC Television Centre in London as part of the live Sport Relief show the following day.