Eight wins in a row, nine unbeaten, the Magpies are going to take some stopping this season.
David Prutton admits Newcastle United were solid rather than spectacular as they dispatched Leeds 2-0 at Elland Road but says it is this kind of consistency that will make the difference in the long run, as reported by The Chronicle.
In the first league meeting since 2004 between two of English football’s fallen giants, a clinically taken Dwight Gayle double brought an end to Leeds’ three-game winning run while ensuring the Magpies are now nine points clear of Reading in third.
Rafael Benitez’s side have now emerged victorious in eight straight Championship fixtures, though narrow wins against the likes of Rotherham United, Cardiff City and Preston North End showcased Newcastle’s ability to grind out results on the back of adequate performances – a trend usually described as the hallmark of champions.
After all, the North East outfit appear increasingly certain to lift the second tier title at the end of the season and Prutton believes their consistency will be the major factor.
“It’s another tick,” said the former Southampton midfielder, as reported by The Chronicle. “Not been plain sailing all the way through but Leeds haven’t really laid a glove on them.
“They’ve been professional and laid a platform to win the game. It’s that consistency which is going to see them through. They don’t need to be consistently devastating.”
In the second half, Benitez introduced Aleksandar Mitrovic and Mo Diame (below), two players who have certainly not appeared out of place in the Premier League in recent years, and Prutton added that Newcastle’s strength in depth gives them a considerable edge over their opponents at this level.
Many have put forward the point that the current crop at St James’ Park represent the most formidable squad ever assembled at this level, an opinion that is becoming increasingly difficult to disprove.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
