Newcastle United will have to wait two weeks until they take the field again to face a mediocre Burnley side at Turf Moor.
Newcastle United went from the most desperate team in the Premier League to one of the most consistent over the last two weeks. Frustration was beginning to boil over on Tyneside when Newcastle only managed to secure one point from a possible six in two winnable matches against Brighton and Southampton, but the Magpies made up for those dropped points in a big way.
Every pundit and most supporters did not give Newcastle much of a chance against Watford and Bournemouth, but Rafa Benitez’s men stunned the league with back-to-back victories against unlikely opponents to climb into a mid-table position this weekend.
The Magpies have every right to be confident now, especially seeing how lenient their upcoming schedule is, but will this two-week break slow down their momentum?
Newcastle Must Stay Focused
The timing of this two-week break that has been designated for UEFA Nations League action comes at the worst possible time for Newcastle. After claiming two impressive victories over the last two weekends, Newcastle are eager to keep their good run of form going.
The Magpies’ next two matches both made my list of five matches that Newcastle must win to turn the season around. Newcastle will travel to Turf Moor to face Burnley on November 26th and will then host West Ham at St. James’ Park on December 1st.
Newcastle are very capable of defeating both teams to extend their winning streak to four matches, but this will only happen if they stay focused during this international break. Jonjo Shelvey, Jamaal Lascelles and Yoshinori Muto should be fully recovered by then and they should provide the internal competition that Benitez has been waiting to see.
Benitez will be tasked with keeping his players motivated and he will surely emphasize the importance of training hard in order to earn playing time in matches. Motivation should not be a problem for this side coming off two straight victories, but a two-week break can seem like a lifetime for a team that is eager to earn more positive results.