Newcastle's demise since Robson was foolishly sacked by former chairman Freddie Shepherd after just four games of the 2004-05 campaign has been as embarrassing as it has been spectacular, but Robson is convinced United still have everything in place to challenge the Big Four's increasingly depressing monopoly.

"There are clubs in the Premier League who could do it," said Robson. "There are clubs who could break the monopoly, but Newcastle are the ones who have the best chance of breaking into it and staying there because of the fanbase, the financial backing and the fact it's a one-club city which eats, drinks and breathes football. I'd love to see it happen, even now.

"Newcastle are a bigger club than Everton, they are a bigger club than Aston Villa and even Tottenham.

"They are big clubs, of course they are, but Newcastle are bigger.

"I might be biased of course, but I firmly believe that if one team is going to shake things up it is Newcastle United."

And having done it once before when he was in charge, Robson knows Newcastle are also the club the Big Four fear most as they try to maintain their self-perpetuating elite.

Given that the Magpies are more concerned with relegation from the Premier League than qualification for the Champions League this season, Robson's comments may seem strange, but he claims he knows from experience what Newcastle are capable of as a football club.

He explained: "We might have done it you know. We came close, do you remember? We never did as well as I thought we could in the League Cup, I don't know why, and the FA Cup is very tough to win, the Big Four have dominated it.

"But for a time we were in the Big Four, we scared them, don't doubt that for a second. I know we scared them because people like Sir Alex Ferguson told me we did, that young team we had – Shearer, Robert, Speed, Solano, Dyer, Bellamy, Jenas and so on – it was a quick team, a pacy team and we played good football as well."