John Barnes makes Newcastle confession with strong warning on ‘unforgiving’ Prem
John Barnes insists he never doubted Newcastle would turn the corner under Eddie Howe but has urged the players not to take their feet off the gas.
The Magpies now sit 14th in the Premier League table and are seven points above the bottom three. It is thanks to a superb run of results which has seen the north-east outfit pick up 18 points from a possible 24. The Tynesiders looked dead and buried but five wins and three draws means they can now breathe a little easier.
There is still a long way to go but the influx of new players in January means they are well placed to progress. Barnes certainly thinks so.
And the former Newcastle winger was confident that there would be top-flight football at St James’ Park next term.
“I always felt Newcastle would have enough to avoid relegation in terms of their players,” Barnes told BonusCodesBets, per The Chronicle. “With the momentum and confidence they’ve got, they should climb up the table.”
However, the ex-Liverpool ace feels it is vital that his old club keeps up the momentum from their eight-match unbeaten run.
“I’m glad because the fans have been fantastic and it’s a great part of the world to play football. But they still have to keep playing with the right attitude rather than thinking the job is done because they’re out of the bottom three,” he added.
“The Premier League can be unforgiving and you can be dragged back in.”
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Barnes a big fan of Howe
Howe replaced the beleaguered Steve Bruce in the dugout following the Saudi-backed takeover. Success was far from instant but the winter window saw five new players arrive.
Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, Matt Targett and Dan Burn were recruited, with £90m spent. That is a far cry from the scraps that Bruce had to work with during his tenure.
And Barnes believes the only way is up with the former Bournemouth chief at the helm.
“(Eddie) Howe is doing a good job under difficult circumstances,” he stated. “He had a fantastic January transfer window, which really catapulted them to where they are.
“Everything is there for Newcastle financially for them to climb the table, so he’s done everything asked of him. I can’t speak highly enough of him.”
Newcastle’s next test comes on Thursday when Howe takes his charges to St Mary’s to face Southampton. Saints have been in outstanding form but were thumped 4-0 by Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa at the weekend.
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