A lot can change in one week in football. Look no further than Newcastle United as a prime example.
Rafa Benitez is on course to take Newcastle United back to the Premier League.
At the beginning of the season, Newcastle were odds on favourites to secure promotion.
After an unconvincing start, the Magpies have soared to an unassailable position in the automatic promotion places.
With ten games to go, Newcastle fans can be forgiven for looking forward to top flight football next season. The Championship is renowned for being an unforgiving league and the unpredictable nature is what it makes it one of world football’s exciting leagues.
Newcastle were given a test of their promotion credentials with three away games in a week at fellow clubs also chasing the dream of Premier League football for next season. Away trips to Brighton and Hove Albion, Huddersfield Town and Reading, all clubs that have been occupying their spots inside the top top six for majority of the season, could have potentially derailed their campaign.
Before the crunch clashes, Newcastle sat in second place trailing Brighton by one point and sitting five points clear of Huddersfield in third.
After securing wins over Brighton and Huddersfield in the space of four days, their draw at play-off bound Reading has put them three points clear of Brighton and more importantly, nine points clear of third-placed Huddersfield.
The title is not secure yet and anything but being crowned Championship winners would be considered a disappointment. However, failure to gain promotion would be a disaster. Their destiny is in their own hands, and it is difficult to see anybody prying that away from them.
Newcastle United’s Matt Ritchie celebrates scoring against Huddersfield at the weekend.
There are no easy games in the Championship, and in Newcastle’s final ten games, they face 5 teams from the top half of the table and 5 from the bottom half.
Despite this, it is hard to see where Newcastle will drop nine points in the final two months of the season.
What do you think Newcastle fans? Is promotion secured? Or is it too early to celebrate? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
Newcastle showcased their defensive capabilities in their 0-0 draw with Reading.
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