Newcastle start a run of SIX home games in our next seven matches in all competitions today.
Aside from Wolves away on the 18th January, we’ll take on Crystal Palace, Leeds and Aston Villa in the Premier League, Bournemouth in the FA Cup, Man City in a Carabao Cup semi-final and PSV in our penultimate game of the Champions League league phase.
A huge opportunity awaits to keep our season alive on four fronts, and Eddie Howe is not shying away from the importance of this period, especially when it comes to our hopes of getting back up that Premier League table.
Speaking to the media ahead of today’s 3pm kick-off, Howe admits this is a season-defining period and a chance to find consistency that we simply cannot waste:
“There is going to be no rest during January. This is going to be a season-defining month for us with very minimal rest between games.
“You look at the month as a whole and it has some great games for us. Some really mouthwatering occasions, but we’ve got some tough challenges ahead and certainly the start of the month needs to be a fruitful one for us.”
“We are in there, fighting and scrapping for every point that we can in the Premier League. It’s been a difficult season so far, it’s not been plain sailing, but the points gap is minimal. If we can put a run together, but it’s a big ‘if’.
“Consistency and being able to back up results has been our main failing this year. Being able to back up results is what we are looking to do. If we can things can change quickly. We haven’t been able to do it yet, but this is the moment.
“We are running out of opportunities, because beyond this I don’t think we’ll get another chance. Our focus is there. The performance levels have been pretty good for a while, but this is a season defining month for us.”
Howe’s final line here is quite telling. Where Howe would normally shy away from putting too much focus or pressure on one set of fixtures, he does not hide from the importance of the January ahead, practically admitting it must go well if we’re top get ourselves back in contention of a top five finish.
Consistency has been our undoing this season, yet we have a big chance now to put a run of wins together, with winnable home games to come against an injury-hit Palace, newly-promoted Leeds and out of sorts Bournemouth all to come in the next seven days.
If we’re ever going to turn our season around, it has to happen in January. After a 3-1 victory at Burnley on Tuesday, let’s hope we can back that up and make it nine wins in 11 at St James’ Park this afternoon.
Howay the lads!
Tonali certainly needs to rediscover his form, and all of the forward line needs to get its act together from now until the end of the season for this to be a good season.
We are fortunate that due to the league being very tight we are not out of it yet.
HWTL
Joseph(Quote)
A new year and Positive vibes
We’ll win this 2-1 with a vastly improved performance setting us up to turn the season around.
Onwards and upwards ⚫⚪
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
If we are confident ruthless and the have good possession we will beat C P 3-1 but we need to play well a few steps up to what we have been this season but we have also got to hope E H does not keep meddling with the subs and brings on willock waste of time man we will wait and see good luck lads
Keith Richardson(Quote)