Newcastle United have concluded their easiest stretch of the season and must now prepare for some difficult games.
Newcastle United continue to exceeded expectations this season. The majority of pundits and neutral fans of the Premier League did not think the Magpies would be able to cope with the departure of Rafa Benitez, but Steve Bruce has done a fine job with this squad.
Newcastle United are currently ninth in the table with 25 points and have performance record of seven victories, four draws and seven defeats. Bruce’s troops fought hard to win five of their last eight games against the following opponents: West Ham (3-2), Bournemouth (2-1), Sheffield United (2-0), Southampton (2-1) and Crystal Palace (1-0).
This part of the Magpies’ schedule was outlined as their most lenient stretch of games this season and the team did well to handle business against most of their opponents. The unexpected 2-2 draw against Manchester City at St. James’ Park also helped out a bit, especially in terms of confidence. With this string of fixtures now behind us, let’s take a look at the club’s next five games and rank them by difficulty, with a ranking of five being the “easiest” upcoming game and one being the most difficult.
5. Everton
- When: Saturday, December 28th
- Where: St. James’ Park
Newcastle United will host Everton and their new boss Carlo Ancelotti at St. James’ Park three days from now. Both teams will be in action tomorrow and they will also be playing on January 1st, so it will be interesting to see the lineup selections for Saturday’s game. Everton have been a major disappointment thus far as they only hover four points above the relegation zone.
Everton have plenty of talent in their squad and they have the potential to knock on the door of the top six with the players they have, along with Ancelotti’s experience as a winning manager in the top flight. However, it will take Everton’s players time to adjust to their new manager’s tactics.
Moreover, St. James’ Park is expected to be at full capacity and the Magpies have only lost once in front of their supporters on Tyneside. Seeing that some tougher games lie ahead for Newcastle United, Steve Bruce’s men should play with urgency to reach 28 points before the new year if they fail to claim three points at Old Trafford tomorrow.