Another long break for international football forces Newcastle United supporters to wait one more week for the match against Burnley.
One week of the international break is in the books, but Newcastle United still have to wait until November 26th to take the field for Premier League action. The Magpies’ next opponent is Burnley and Rafa Benitez’s men are eager to get this show on the road as they aim to continue their good run of form.
Coming off of two consecutive victories against Watford and Bournemouth in the first two weeks of November, this two-week international break came at the worst time for Newcastle. Supporters can only hope that this long pause will not kill Newcastle’s momentum for the next match, one which they should win on the road.
With that being said, the upcoming match between 14th-placed Newcastle and 15th-placed Burnley may sound boring to neutral fans, but here are three reasons why this match is important for the Magpies.
Develop Consistency
Against Burnley, Newcastle will set out to develop some consistency in their form. The fact that Newcastle claimed two consecutive victories over good teams is impressive, but they still have a lot of ground to make up in the standings. The relegation battle is far from over for the Magpies, but survival will become more likely if they can string together a long run of good form and that begins against Burnley next Monday. Moreover, a victory against Burnley would certainly serve as great motivation for the following game against West Ham at St. James’ Park.
Club Takeover
The only person who knows if and when a takeover will occur is the club’s current owner, Mike Ashley. However, if Newcastle can start climbing the table to the point where prospective buyers would feel more confident in their investment, the likelihood of a takeover quickly increases. At present, Newcastle are 14th in the table with nine points, but they are only one point clear of the drop zone. A win at Turf Moor would provide extra cushion for the Magpies in the table and the greater the disparity between Newcastle and 18th place, the more likely it is that a takeover happens.
Attract Players in January
Last, but not least, Newcastle need three points against Burnley to show that they mean business in the eyes of transfer targets. A win against Burnley is not all that impressive, but a revival in form is. No quality footballers want to leave their current clubs to join a potential relegation candidate. In other words, just how investors need to find assurance that Newcastle will stay up this season so do players looking to make moves in January.
For these reasons, the match between Newcastle and Burnley is not just a simple, boring match in late November. Newcastle have a lot to play for and hopefully they still have the momentum from their recent victories.