Former Newcastle United defensive midfielder Dietmar Hamann believes the Magpies are capable of securing a top ten finish this season, despite their incredibly poor start to the campaign.
In the first eight Premier League games of Steve McClaren’s reign as Newcastle manager, the Magpies only picked up three points [draws against Southampton, Manchester United and Chelsea] and looked destined to suffer their second relegation of the Mike Ashley era. But, they have turned a corner.
With four wins and two draws in their last nine games, including impressive victories against Spurs and Liverpool, Newcastle are beginning to put distance between themselves and the bottom three. McClaren has seemingly found his best eleven and there appears to be a system in place that works – even if the fans aren’t entirely satisfied with the team selection.
Former German international Dietmar ‘Didi’ Hamann has acknowledged their impressive turnaround and now expects Newcastle to continue and potentially press for a place in the top 10.
In a recent interview with BreatheSport, Didi said: “They have some excellent players; Wijnaldum has had a good season and Rob Elliot has done a great job stepping in.
With the players they have, Newcastle should finish in the top 12.
“If they can avoid too many injuries and put in a few more performances like they have in the past couple, they are capable of finishing in the top 10.”
He went on to discuss where it was going wrong for McClaren’s side and what areas they must address if they are to continue their current form.
“Newcastle can be a very streaky side,” Didi told BreatheSport.
“Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of confidence and they are more than capable of going on a run. I wouldn’t be surprised if they won their next few games too.
The problem with Newcastle, given their very passionate fans, is that they sometimes become over-confident, or their emotions take over.
“They need to keep their feet on the ground and keep working hard for their results. Steve McClaren acted with a lot of dignity throughout their bad spell, protecting and defending his players, so they need to repay that.”
Do you agree with Didi’s comments? Let us know in the comments section below or tweet your thoughts to @ReadNewcastle.
