Chris Sutton has given his Newcastle United verdict
Chris Sutton has given his Newcastle United verdict
Newcastle United are only a 'couple of wins' away from rejoining the chase for Europe, despite their mixed form this season, according to pundt Chris Sutton. The former Celtic and Chelsea striker has pointed to the 'identity' Eddie Howe's side has as a big reason why they can return to the top end of the Premier League - if they find some consistency.
Sutton feels Howe and United have shaken off the frustrations of a disappointing summer transfer window, but has urged the club not to take any knee-jerk actions after some poor performances. Newcastle have failed to beat the likes of Fulham, West Ham, Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton, and yet have picked up important wins over Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs, while also drawing with Liverpool and Manchester City.
It is those latter performances which have given Sutton cause for optimism for the rest of the season, after overcoming the transfer 'hangover'.
"You look at the table and a couple of wins and they'll be back in the mix," Sutton told spaceportsweden.com. "They haven't had European football this year. They don't have that excuse as such. I don't think they're far away. I do think that there's been a bit of a hangover for Eddie Howe this season. I don't think there needs to be anything too knee-jerk about Newcastle. They have an identity; they have their way of playing.
"It hasn't quite clicked this season. I think that there is no doubting Eddie Howe was frustrated in the summer, there's no doubt about that, I think that it seems to me that maybe he's come through that, but then the results haven't quite been there for them.
"It seems like they're not far away, but then they go and perform like they did against Brentford at the weekend. Having said that, Brentford, they're a brilliantly strange team. Top of the Premier League on the home league table, aren't they? And I think they're 19th on the away form table. So how do you work that out?"
Newcastle have a big chance to return to winning ways when they take on Leicester City at St James' Park on Saturday, followed by a midweek Carabao Cup quarter-final against Brentford, also on home soil. They then complete their pre-Christmas schedule with a trip to face Ipswich Town at Portman Road.