Ahead of Newcastle’s trip to St Mary’s on Sunday, Paul Merson has backed Newcastle to come away 3-0 winners, stating he doesn’t ‘see anything but a Newcastle victory’ at Southampton.
Newcastle have scored 16 goals in our last six games and the Sky Sports pundit is expecting us to continue that excellent from in front of goal, also tipping us to secure another clean sheet.
That said, Merson isn’t convinced that this current group of players – who are ‘playing out of their skin’ – will be able to maintain the high bar they’ve set so far this season, feeling we have a decision to make in the new year when it comes to sticking by our current crop or investing further to secure European football.
However, should we enter the World Cup break in the top four, he feels our owners WILL look to capitalise on our position and invest in the January transfer window to fast-forward our long-term project.
Speaking to Sportskeeda, here’s what Merson had to say on Sunday’s game and Newcastle’s plans moving forward:
“Newcastle have a long way to go to secure their top-four finish. Their players are playing out of their skins at the moment, and I’m not sure how long that can go on. They’re riding at the moment and if they win their next two matches, they could give themselves a solid chance.
“They need to decide whether they need to invest in their squad in the January transfer window. If they beat Chelsea next week, I think Newcastle will buy a few players and go after that top-four spot.
“Newcastle are playing really well at the moment. They’ve gone eight Premier League games without a single defeat, and their 2-1 loss to Liverpool was due to a late goal. I don’t see anything but a Newcastle victory this weekend.”
Prediction: Southampton 0-3 Newcastle United
