Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola recently claimed that Newcastle United are genuine contenders to finish in the top four.
After 14 games, that’s exactly where the Magpies are. 14 played, seven wins, six draws, one defeat. A positive goal difference of 17, only bettered by Arsenal and Man City.
They are the only two teams that have better records than Newcastle, occupying first and second in the Premier League table.
With Liverpool struggling, Chelsea stuttering and Manchester United…being Manchester United, the race for the top four is wide open. And it’s a race Newcastle find themselves competing in to the shock of everybody.
While Toon fans are getting nosebleeds at the fact the club is so high in the table, City boss Guardiola thinks the Magpies are here to say.
What Pep Guardiola said about Newcastle
The 51-year-old claimed last month that Howe’s men are genuine contenders to qualify for the Champions League.
“They are a contender, a contender to be there,” he said.
“The manager is Eddie Howe and you know how good he is. With the new players that come. And the way they play, brave.
“There will be a lot of teams fighting for the Champions League, fighting for the title. Look now, Newcastle is another part of this, is already there.
“I saw them last weekend against Tottenham. I see the physicality we faced, we played them [Newcastle United] in the third game of the season. Imagine this team Newcastle with one game a week, with no European competition?”
How the club have reacted internally to Pep’s comments
While Guardiola may have meant his comments as a compliment, that is not how they have been received on Tyneside.
According to the Athletic, people behind the scenes at Newcastle were ‘suspicious’ as to why Guardiola said what he said.
And since then, the Premier League title winner has doubled down and gone even further. He has since claimed that the Magpies are one of seven teams in the race to win the title.
Excuse me?! Newcastle are playing well, but there’s no way this season ends with Jamaal Lascelles lifting the Premier League trophy high above his head.
And it’s still a long-shot that we qualify for the Champions League. We’re certainly in the mix for Europe, but the top four is going to be a real stretch despite our current position.
Are the club right to be suspicious of what Guardiola has said? On the one hand, he is just being complimentary towards Howe’s side, and the proof is in the pudding. We’re third after 14 games and don’t have the burden of European football, so it’s not beyond the realms of possibility.
But surely there has to be a bump in the road somewhere for Newcastle. That’s why talk of finishing in the top four isn’t gripping Tyneside. We are just enjoying the ride and seeing where it takes us.
It is those outside who are trying to build expectation, thus creating pressure. If Newcastle don’t finish in the top four, those that hyped us up will then consider us failures. But that couldn’t be further away from the truth.
A narrative within the media is shifting about Newcastle as pressure builds from the outside. But within cool heads shall prevail. This is a long-term project, and we are performing well above expectations so far this season.
Howe will continue to do what he does best, improve his players and ignore the outside noise.
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