Habib Beye admits he didn't join Newcastle United in the summer to be part of a relegation battle.

"This is very different to what I expected," he told The Times. "None of us thought we would be where we are. I had a similar experience when I was at RC Strasbourg. We went a long time without winning and we dropped into the second league.

"But Strasbourg was only a little club, while Newcastle is a big club. We should not be where we are in the table. Newcastle should be a club in the top five. Birmingham is a massive game - our biggest of the season."