Updated: 2008-01-19 15:51

LONDON - Former Newcastle United manager Ruud Gullit believes Kevin Keegan will struggle to make an impact in his second spell as manager of the Premier League team and believes they are no longer a big club.

Keegan, nicknamed 'King Kev' on Tyneside, spoke of his determination to bring attractive winning football and silverware to the club at a packed news conference on Friday, 11 years after ending his first stint as manager.

Last time Keegan took Newcastle from the brink of the old third division to Premier League title contenders but returns to a team closer to the relegation zone than the top six.

Speaking to Web site www.feelfootball.com Gullit poured cold water on Keegan's joyful return.

"I think the expectations of the club are so incredibly high that maybe (they are) not realistic for the people who go to work there," he said. "If you think you can play and win immediately there that is not true."

Asked if Newcastle, currently 12th, will start challenging the top six soon under Keegan, Gullit added: "No. He won't do it. It is not realistic to expect that.

"To be realistic, he needs to have the time to build a team that he thinks can maybe in the future compete. Maybe in the future. That must be his goal.

"For the simple reason that the other clubs have a huge advantage because they have the best youngsters and the best players in all these other teams."

Gullit, a former European and World Player of the Year and now coach of LA Galaxy, was in charge of Newcastle from 1998-1999 and took them to an FA Cup final before results turned sour and the fans turned against him.

"The most difficult part is they have to compete with teams that have had a much bigger attraction than Newcastle have had," Gullit said. "Most big players, young players, go to Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, so this is the difficulty that you have to deal with."

Keegan takes charge of his first match at home to Bolton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday.