The Newcastle United Blog | Howe stresses focus as Newcastle exit last six
Newcastle climbed out of the last six to take 14th place in the table with a resounding 2-0 victory at Brentford. While Josh Dasilva’s early exit helped things, the guys put on a very professional performance to earn the three points.
Other results around the league have followed Newcastle’s path as Watford and Burnley have only managed draws with other clubs around us suffering defeats. Here’s a look at the leaderboard as it currently stands.
| club | matches | Goal difference | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | AstonVilla | 25 | -4 | 30 |
| 13 | Leicester | 23 | -6 | 27 |
| 14 | Newcastle | 25 | -17 | 25 |
| 15 | Brentford | 27 | -17 | 24 |
| 16 | Leeds | 26 | -31 | 23 |
| 17 | Everton | 24 | -13 | 22 |
| 18 | Burnley | 24 | -8 | 21 |
| 19 | Watford | 26 | -22 | 19 |
| 20 | Norwich | 26 | -40 | 17 |
The focus shifts again to our next opponent. On Saturday, Brighton, who lost three at the trot, come to St. James’ Park. The Seagulls were beaten by Aston Villa, the only club in the bottom half of the table other than Newcastle to win today.
It’s easy to get carried away by this recent wave. Newcastle are in a very good position at the moment, but a few bad games can easily ruin things. The emphasis must therefore be placed on the continuation of this formidable race.
Eddie Howe was quick to point out that the job is far from done. There are still 13 games left and the guys need to keep scoring to avoid the final three.
Here are the head coach’s words of warning as published in The Mail:
“The relegation picture for me goes straight to the wire. We don’t want to get involved, but our next set of games dictates what happens. We have to be focused, not get carried away with the results.
Newcastle are just 4 points from the drop zone, with Burnley calling Leicester to Turf Moor on Tuesday. The gap could be even smaller if the Clarets maintain their invincibility.
The next few weeks could determine just how nervous this season’s home stretch is. There are five games left before the international break in March. It is imperative that Newcastle maintain this momentum.
Things can change very quickly in this league. Brentford were flying high to start this season but are now in the midst of a relegation battle. Their fall mirrors that of Leeds who have crumbled in recent weeks.
In a season of coaching changes, there could be yet another casualty. Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that Leeds could part ways with Marcelo Bielsa after a four-game losing streak.
? Marcelo Bielsa is increasingly expected to step down as Leeds United head coach. The final discussion has not yet taken place but its release is now more and more likely. Jesse Marsch is the firm’s favorite to be named successor. w/ @PhilHay_ @TheAthleticUK #LUFC https://t.co/9ewRbHidyL
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) February 26, 2022
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