Dan Burn says Newcastle United can catch Tottenham and retain the “belief” they can return to the Champions League next year.
If anything sums up a topsy-turvy season at St James’ Park, it is that statement. It is only 15 days since Newcastle’s season looked cooked when they were 3-1 down at home to West Ham with 13 minutes remaining.
Three wins later they are back among the European places and spying a run-in laced with possibility. Four of their final six games are against the bottom seven, with Burnley and Sheffield United to come. Another is against Manchester United, a team that are so frequently less than the sum of their parts.
It is no wonder Newcastle no longer see the now 10-point gap to Tottenham – whose run-in is the stuff of nightmares by comparison – as unassailable.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen with that extra Champions League place at the minute but I think that has got to be our belief that we can do that,” Burn said after his team’s impressive defeat of a Spurs side who were woeful.
“No one is playing unbelievably around us, everyone is a bit hit and miss so if we can be that team that kicks on, there’s five weeks left of the season now so we’re not hanging on for anything and we can go all out.”
The seeds for Newcastle’s recent success were apparently laid in a sunshine training camp in Dubai last month which was a mix of team bonding and the sort of intense tactical work the team couldn’t do earlier in the campaign.
Having struggled with the intensity of balancing Champions League and Premier League fixtures – which gave no time for work on the training ground – Newcastle are now benefiting from longer gaps between fixtures.
Eddie Howe’s tactical plan was perfect on Saturday against Spurs’ high line, the team going man-to-man in midfield and deploying a three-man defence that gave Newcastle numbers to counter-attack. They had 27 per cent of possession but all of the big moments.
Ange Postecoglou’s tactics looked naive by comparison. “They always play a high line and it’s something we looked to expose,” Burn admitted afterwards.
“We have [Anthony] Gordon, Alex [Isak], [Harvey] Barnes and [Jacob] Murphy who all have that pace so no matter how quick you are, if you’re holding that line, it’s tough to do.”
For Micky van de Ven, embarrassed twice by the brilliant Isak in the first half, it proved the worst day of an otherwise excellent debut Premier League campaign. In his defence, few are able to cope with the electric Isak at the moment.
He was not alone: Gordon was outstanding as he continues to press his Euro 2024 claims and Fabian Schar, scorer of the fourth goal, was similarly inspired. Spurs were wretched, giving hope to Newcastle that they can be hauled in.
“Of course we think we can catch Spurs,” Burn, a man in form since his switch from left-back to centre-back, said.
“We spoke about it before the game that they were 13 points ahead of us, but they have a tough run-in and if we could lay down a marker and beat them, then they will always be looking over their shoulder.”
If Newcastle can emerge from a season of injuries and uncertainty with European football, it will provide an infusion of belief. It should also end any lingering questions about Howe.
“I think as a personal target for me that if we got European football again this season then it would be a good season,” Burn added.
“With the Champions League added into that this season, then it was always going to be a big ask to replicate that.
“We had a bit of a surprise factor last season where we changed the way we were playing and teams struggled with it but they’ve not had that year to think about how to deal with us and a lot of teams have caused us problems.
“But to get any sort of European football again this season in my opinion would be a good season.”