The Rafalution: January progress report for Newcastle United

Newcastle United are 14th in the table after playing 25 matches, but the Magpies are only one loss away from falling into the relegation zone.

Unlike December’s compact schedule, January was more lenient for Newcastle United as the Magpies only played four Premier League matches last month. In addition to the Premier League schedule, two FA Cup matches against Luton Town in the Third Round and Chelsea in the Fourth Round also made their way into Newcastle’s list of fixtures last month.

With the transfer window being the main topic of discussion for the media throughout January, Rafa Benitez did his best to prepare the players for each match regardless of the club’s transfer activity. Despite all of these distractions, the primary objective of the club was to gain some momentum and climb up the table in such a tight relegation battle.

January Overview

The Magpies were able to earn some decent results as the club’s record in January was 1-2-1. January presented Newcastle United with the opportunity to earn a maximum of 12 points, but the Magpies were only able to gain five.

Below is a list of results from the January fixtures:

January 1: Stoke City 0-1 Newcastle United

January 13: Newcastle United 1-1 Swansea City

January 20: Manchester City 3-1 Newcastle United

January 31: Newcastle United 1-1 Burnley

In contrast to December where Newcastle United and every other bottom-half side struggled, January was much kinder to several teams. The positive results from other clubs did not prevent the Magpies from rising in the league standings, but those results did prevent Newcastle from widening the gap in terms of points.

Rafalution Progress Report

Newcastle United have four months to secure their survival this season and it will not be an easy task. The Magpies find themselves four spots above the relegation zone due to their goal differential, which shows just how competitive the bottom-half of the table truly is.

More from Newcastle Toons

With six favorable matches still on the schedule for Newcastle United, Rafa Benitez needs to emphasize the importance of those matches to his players.

The Magpies have dropped too many points against clubs of similar caliber, especially at home. Three points instead of one against Burnley in the last match would have been significant, but wasted opportunities hurt the club at the end. The arrival of Kenedy to play opposite of Christian Atsu on the wing, and Islam Slimani coming in as the new striker to turn scoring opportunities into more goals should provide the Magpies with a major offensive boost.

Moreover, new player arrivals benefit the club as the internal competition for playing time only intensifies. This internal competition will significantly aid Newcastle United in their pursuit of Premier League survival, with every player expected to give maximum effort regardless of their role in the squad.

Phase Two Status

With the Magpies currently 14th in the table, the lads in stripes are on track to complete phase two of the Rafalution, which is to avoid relegation this season. However, that placement in the table is only temporary right now.

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An away victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday would be a tremendous result for Newcastle to get closer to the top ten with 27 points. A draw or a loss for Newcastle and victories from the sides below them could place Benitez’s men in the drop zone.