Newcastle United must use Liverpool win as a platform

Newcastle United must use Liverpool win as a platform

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A one-match wonder, or the turning point of a struggling season?

This is the question on the mind of every Newcastle fan following their hard fought 2-0 victory over Liverpool on Sunday. The immediate reaction of that win was one of relief, but now that the dust has settled, attention has turned to how Steve McClaren’s men can push on. In the past, Newcastle have won impressively, only to revert to mediocrity in the following weeks – something under pressure McClaren will be desperate to avoid.

Next on the agenda for the Magpies is a trip to White Hart Lane to face a Tottenham side that is unbeaten since the opening day of the season. It may seem like a lost cause, but Newcastle should take confidence from the fact that ‘The Lane’ is one of their more favourable grounds in the country to visit, having won on their last two league visits against all expectations. Another reason for the Magpies to be confident is the fact that anything can happen this season. No one expected Leicester to be top of the league in December, no one expected Bournemouth to beat Chelsea, and no one expected Newcastle to beat a high-flying Liverpool. If Newcastle can beat Spurs and pull off another shock win, it would indicate the start of a revival for the Geordies.

If Newcastle are to push on and have a successful remainder of the season, they need to start collecting points as soon as possible, and their fixture list between now and the new year is relatively kind. The trip to Tottenham is followed by their biggest match of the season to date – a home match against Aston Villa who are struggling worse than the Magpies. If it was ever possible to have a relegation six-pointer in December, this would be it.

They then conclude the calendar year with a home match against the inconsistent Everton on Boxing Day and an away trip to West Brom two days later. Newcastle should be looking to get a minimum of seven points from these fixtures, which would take them to 20 points at the halfway mark. This would set the relegation battlers up nicely to end the season on the magic 40 points which has proven to guarantee safety over the years.

The win against Liverpool certainly raised spirits among Newcastle fans, however the reality is that it will mean absolutely nothing unless they use this as a base to build their season upon. The fans caught a glimpse of what can happen when the players put a good shift in and they will want to see more of that in the coming weeks.

With relegation rivals Sunderland, Bournemouth and Norwich all picking up valuable points recently, Newcastle must ensure they do not fall behind. One thing is certain though – this squad does have talent. The big names just tend to go missing too often. But when players like Georginio Wijnaldum, Moussa Sissoko and Daryl Janmaat are at the top of their game like they were on Sunday, Newcastle are a difficult team to play.

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They have proven they can beat good teams, now it is time to do it on a more consistent basis.

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