Newcastle have every chance of avoiding relegation this season

Newcastle looked down and out in the Premier League even a month back, languishing in the relegation zone without a single win to show for their efforts.

From Rafael Benitez’s ultra-defensive tactics to lack of intent and motivation amongst the players, Newcastle were at the receiving end of widespread criticism from the media. In fact, they would certainly have been one of the bookies’ favourites to face the drop this season after a series of unimpressive displays.

Incredible as it may sound, Newcastle have managed to breathe life into their campaign, climbing out of the relegation zone to a mid-table spot. It has been a long and hard journey for Newcastle this season and Rafael Benitez has seen it all.

The Magpies registered their third consecutive win of the season with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Burnley at Turf Moor on Monday night.

It all began with a surprise 1-0 win over Watford three weeks back, which could have been deemed as a mere flash in the pan by the critics.

However, that was the piece of luck that Newcastle needed to turn their fortunes around. If a 1-0 win against Watford wasn’t enough, then a 2-1 victory over an in-form Bournemouth side was certainly enough to prove that Newcastle aren’t going down without a fight.

West Brom loanee Salomon Rondon wasn’t able to play much part in the early stages of Newcastle’s campaign due to injury and struggled for lack of form even when he was fit. However, the former Malaga man rose to the occasion and delivered the goods against Bournemouth, providing that much-needed impetus to Newcastle’s campaign going into the international break.

The 29-year-old was at the top of his game on Monday night as well, using his massive frame to good effect and winning as many as six aerial duels. His dominating presence inside the box has added a lot of substance to Newcastle’s attack, particularly with the likes of Matt Ritchie and Robert Kenedy supplying quality balls into the box from the flanks. That has very much been the key to Newcastle’s success in recent weeks.

Ciaran Clark was on target with his header from Matt Ritchie’s cross to score the second goal against Burnley, further emphasizing the difference that Newcastle have made with their quality crossing.

The Magpies have improved significantly in all departments of the game in recent weeks. Having been criticised in the early stages of the season for not keeping hold of the ball enough to make things happen, Newcastle have shown a marked improvement in that aspect, looking comfortable in possession and playing a lot more passes to spread out the play.

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Benitez’s men still have a lot of areas to work on if they are to keep up the pressure on the mid-table teams. They have been solid at the back all season but they need to add some quality players in January to bolster their attack.

To conclude, the Magpies have shown plenty of promise in recent weeks and they now have a platform to build on. They need to capitalize on their newly-found success and keep stringing together impressive performances, which would steer them to safety as far as the relegation battle is concerned.