Newcastle United must be wary of euphoria in final 11 matches
By Durim Halimi
A major victory at a crucial moment late in the season is great for a club like Newcastle United, but the Magpies must remain grounded and focused.
Sitting 13th in the table with 11 matches remaining in the season might be a sign of safety in some European leagues, but not the English Premier League. In terms of table standings, Newcastle United are five spots above the relegation zone, but only two points separate Newcastle in 13th from Southampton in 18th.
The Magpies fell into the relegation zone 20 minutes prior to facing Manchester United last Sunday, but the 1-0 victory over the Red Devils enabled Newcastle to climb into temporary safety. Defeating Manchester United at St. James’ Park gave the Magpies much-needed confidence heading into the final third of the season, but with confidence comes the potential risk of euphoria.
Confidence and Composure
Over the course of 27 matches, the Magpies have earned seven victories and seven draws. With 28 points entering the final third of the season, Newcastle United are not where they would like to be and they are surrounded by several clubs floating in similar point totals. Rafa Benitez has faced many challenges this season, but mitigating the impact of euphoria within the club may be his most difficult task yet.
Benitez must teach his players to play with amnesia, in the sense that previous results mean nothing as the Magpies move forward to each fixture. Newcastle United must look back on their performance against Manchester United and attempt to emulate that integrity for 90 minutes, but the players cannot go into matches thinking that they are invincible because of one great result.
Newcastle United will have to play six away matches in this final stretch of the season, with five of those away matches being against clubs in the top half of the table. The Magpies must have a “one game at a time” mentality and do their best to accrue as many points as possible to get close to, match or even surpass the magic 40-point total to secure survival.
Seeing how competitive the relegation battle is this year, teams might survive with 37 or 38 points, but Benitez needs to make sure that his men are motivated to take three points against bottom-half sides while fighting for more upsets against the league’s elite. Benitez is as professional and straightforward as managers come so euphoria should not become an issue, but he must contain player emotions and maintain the collective focus of such a young roster.
Difficult Fixtures Ahead
Every bottom-half club will have their ups and downs until the end of the season, but Newcastle United will have the most difficult road to survival of any club. Of the 11 matches that remain, the Magpies will face four superior sides that are in their own battle to play in the Champions League.
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Every match will be equally important starting with Bournemouth next weekend, but here are four key matches to keep an eye on as they could impact Newcastle’s top-flight survival:
March 3 – Liverpool vs. Newcastle United
March 16 – Tottenham vs. Newcastle United
April 14 – Newcastle United vs. Arsenal
May 13 – Newcastle United vs. Chelsea