Newcastle United Is In Its Dream Position - Now It Must Finish The Job
It feels like every week is a big one for Newcastle United at the moment, but that only reflects the club's success in what has already become a legendary season.
Since the end of February, every match has been important for the mood in the city and inside the four walls of the training ground. Even more than usual, and few places reflect the fortunes of a sports team like Newcastle at the best of times.
But the race for Champions League qualification, and all the opportunities that can bring the clubs involved, is so tight. Newcastle has needed to win almost every game to maintain momentum, while also balancing its first domestic trophy success in 70 years last month. Victories over Nottingham Forest, West Ham United, Brentford and Leicester City have seen belief, but also expectation, grow.
Soccer is supposed to matter, especially at this stage of a season. It should never be taken for granted, even if the pressure on every match is heightened and there is no room to consider anything other than the next one. Newcastle stands eight games away from achieving what most fans would have called a dream season back in August, with its destiny in its own hands and two more huge home matches to prepare for. On Sunday, Manchester United travels to the North East; on Wednesday, it will be Crystal Palace, a game in hand on all the other teams Newcastle is fighting.
Nothing less than two wins will maintain the positive mood for the club and fans. Arsenal's Champions League quarter-final first leg win over Real Madrid this week confirmed that fifth place in the Premier League is an extra qualification spot; winning both matches will ensure Newcastle sits fourth before facing another rival in the race, Aston Villa, away next week. That will be a very tough game.
It can be easy to get caught up in the tension because every single small detail matters so much. But Jason Tindall, Newcastle's assistant head coach, had a very important message when speaking to the press on Friday. He replaced Eddie Howe, who has not been well this week, but is expected to resume his duties on Sunday.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 01: Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United celebrates victory ... More with teammate Bruno Guimaraes after the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at St James' Park on September 01, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by)
'We're in a position that we would have wanted to be in with eight games remaining. There are a lot of teams fighting for those positions,' Tindall said.
'We've got a busy week coming up but the most important thing is the Man United game and making sure we prepare right for that. If we can deliver a performance and get the result we want, it takes us one step closer to where we want to get to.'
Tindall has summed up the situation perfectly. For all the possibilities facing Newcastle now, it wasn't always this positive. In November, it was in the bottom half of the Premier League table; after winning the Carabao Cup against Liverpool, many people feared the campaign would fall off. That hasn't happened; everything that has in the past six weeks or so has gone exactly how Newcastle would have designed it.
But it must continue, and every match is difficult.
'Trying to get three points in the Premier League is incredibly difficult and you have to be at your best and at the top of your game,' Tindall added. "If you're not, and we've experienced ourselves, then you'll get punished.
"With eight games to go, there are a lot of teams fighting for the same as what we are. All we can control is our own performances and what we do. The most important thing is that we approach every game as we have done all season and give the best account of ourselves. Hopefully, that will be enough to achieve our end goal."
Reaching the Champions League is what Newcastle needs to get to the next level. Keeping key players like striker Alexander Isak is more likely if they are in it, and the revenue boosts will help it spend more and adhere to Profit and Sustainability Rules. It will also help grow the club's reputation; without it, this coming summer will be a lot more uncertain.
Manchester United should be in the race but isn't. It has been a terrible season for the Red Devils - it is 13th in the league standings - but it has only lost one of its last nine matches in all competitions. Newcastle's recent success has been getting through games and winning them no matter what, but it will need a few big performances between now and the end of the season. Some days you can just feel the anticipation around St James' Park; Sunday needs to be one of those days.
So much hard work has gone into this season to make it what it has become. It didn't always look this bright, but Newcastle has worked its way into the best possible position. Keep winning and the Champions League will return with all the opportunities it brings, but any slip ups could be fatal.
Everything will be on a knife edge until the end of May. This is yet another big week and Newcastle must respond in the right way. After all, this is everything it wanted.
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