Newcastle United face a crucial eight games in their battle for Premier League survival.
After a bright start, the Magpies have spent much of the campaign battling near the bottom of the table and they were one of the sides that many would frequently include in the discussion of who may go down this season.
However, Newcastle now go into the final eight games of the campaign four points clear of the bottom three and have lost just once in their last six – with Liverpool being the only team to beat Benitez’s men in that run – and Diame has suggested that the Magpies have the fight to ensure that they stay up, and that is partially down to what Benitez keeps telling the squad.
“I know what it takes, but a lot of players here are still young. We just need to fight, we know our jobs and what the manager expects from us,” he said, as reported by the Northern Echo.
“The manager keeps telling us we need to fight to stay in this division because every single team can beat every single other team. It’s about keeping your shape, working hard and making as few mistakes as possible.”
It is not an easy-looking run-in on paper for Newcastle. Benitez’s men face Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea in their final eight games, while away fixtures against the likes of Leicester, Everton and Watford are also likely to present tough tasks.
However, with Newcastle beating Manchester United in February, they should take a lot of confidence into their upcoming run that they can get the results that ensure that they keep themselves in the top flight this season.
Newcastle’s season resumes when they take on fellow bottom-half side Huddersfield Town at St James’ Park on Saturday, and Benitez’s men will be hoping to avenge the defeat that they suffered against the Terriers earlier in the campaign.
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