Newcastle United did something special last season, and Kieran Trippier still believes that they can do it again.
The 2022/23 season was incredible for Newcastle United, with Eddie Howe’s side defying the odds and qualifying for the Champions League. It was a staggering accomplishment, and one that the Toon players would love to repeat.
However, whether or not that will happen remains to be seen. The Magpies are currently seventh in the Premier League, having beaten Nottingham Forest 3-2 on Saturday night. That was an important three points, and it leaves Howe’s side 11 points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth.
It is going to be extremely difficult for Newcastle to reach the top four again, but Toon defender Kieran Trippier still believes it is possible.
Kieran Trippier still targeting Champions League finish for Newcastle United
Trippier spoke to the Chronicle after the win over Nottingham Forest, and still believes Champions League qualification is a possibility.
“There’s still a lot of points to play for and we’re not going to give up on the top four,” he said.
Of course, we know it’s going to be difficult to close that gap, but in football you never know – there’s going to be a lot of twists and turns from now to the end of the season.
“We go into every game with a mentality to win, and it’s going to be hard to finish in the top four because of the teams who are up there, but we’ve still got to play most of them and you never say never.”
Newcastle defender sends a clear warning
Trippier has sent a warning to his former club Tottenham, who currently occupy the final Champions League slot. They moved into fourth this weekend, jumping above Aston Villa thanks to their last-gasp win over Brighton. As for Villa, they were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United.
With 14 games to go, there is still plenty of time for Newcastle to climb the table. And, as Trippier says, Newcastle still need to play against some of the teams above them. We still have dates with Tottenham and Manchester United, which can help us close the gap.
However, it is a big gap. While Trippier has made it clear that top four is still the Magpies’ aim, they are just words. They need to translate into wins, otherwise Newcastle’s venture into the Champions League could just be a flash in the pan.
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