4-1 loss is a reminder for Newcastle to stay grounded

Newcastle United suffered a heavy defeat at Old Trafford and fans can only hope the players learned the important lesson of staying grounded until safety is secured.

Manchester United ran riot against Newcastle United by responding to the Magpies’ early lead with four goals, three of which were scored before halftime. A loss was the most probable outcome in this clash, and this was acknowledged by fans on social media as well, but Steve Bruce’s men were expected to put up a fight that lasted longer than 20 minutes.

The Magpies’ lazy defending and lack of creativity when they had the ball was difficult to watch and fans have every right to be upset with the performance displayed by the team. That being said, there is an important lesson to be learned from yesterday’s defeat against the Red Devils.

The team must stay grounded

The first half of the season is now in the books, but there is plenty of football still left to be played in the Premier League. Newcastle United do have a comfortable cushion in terms of avoiding relegation at the moment, but it only takes a few games for that narrative to change. Currently, Newcastle United are seven points clear of the drop zone, but upcoming games against Everton, Leicester City, Wolverhampton, Chelsea and Everton again could throw the Toon back into the relegation mix.

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Newcastle United have done well to earn positive results against seven clubs, some of which include the league’s elite teams, but the players cannot let euphoria or arrogance get the best of them at this stage of the season. The Magpies will have a few more chances to claim the double over mediocre sides, but they must be willing to fight against the top dogs as well.

Using the busy festive period cannot be accepted as an excuse. Every team is going through this busy period and every manager is being forced to re-shuffle his lineup in order to prioritize their team’s results.

Newcastle United have shown that they are capable of claiming impressive results against unlikely opponents this season and they will need to pull a few more tricks out of the hat if they want to secure their safety in advance. Approaching the second half of the season with a “one game at a time” mentality will be the key for the Toon.