Another Premier League match, another victory for Newcastle. It’s become something of a familiarity for the Magpies and that’s no bad thing. You now take the exceptional work rate of Alan Pardew’s men as a given and against Everton at St James’ Park that was in evidence again. So, with the international break upon us, Newcastle are still unbeaten and already have 25 points on the board. The question is, just how well can Newcastle do this season?
There’s no doubting that Newcastle have played above all expectations this season. To have won seven and drawn four of their first eleven games of the season is exceptional. While they haven’t been able to play the champagne football, which Pardew has been talking of, all of the time, they have proved adept at grinding out results and getting over the line, just as they did against Everton yesterday. Defensively they have been sensational, standing up to Stoke’s aerial bombardment and working their socks off till the final whistle in every game this season.
As every pundit is itching to state, this is where it starts to get hard for Newcastle. Trips to Manchester City and United, before welcoming Chelsea to St James Park, are on the calendar in the next few weeks. But Newcastle have already put themselves into a position, where as long as they don’t lose all of the next three games they’ll have done well, and even if they do it wouldn’t be the end of the world, with back-to-back matches against two of the promoted teams to follow in December.
You can argue that Newcastle’s players are playing above their ability right now, but that shouldn’t be held against the Magpies. Credit has to go to Pardew for getting the most out of his starting eleven week-in, week-out. The squad also came to the fore against Everton, proving that the team spirit within the dressing room couldn’t be higher. But how long can Newcastle continue on this incredible run and can they prove the doubters wrong and continue to punch above their weight at the top of the table?
You’d have to expect that one of the Manchester teams will get the better of Newcastle, if not both. Then they’ll have to ensure that the unbeaten run doesn’t turn into a losing streak. With the quality of teams in the Premier League, you’d think that a Champions League spot would be out of their reach. However, there’s no reason why Newcastle can’t be the best of the rest, as it were, and secure a 7th place finish. There’s a long way to go, but things are definitely looking up for the Toon.
Written by Tom Jones for NothingButNewcastle.com
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