Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul is in no mood to be patted on the back as he and his team-mates continue to defy their doubters.
The Magpies climbed to fifth place in the Barclays Premier League table as a result of a hard-fought victory over Blackburn at Ewood Park on Wednesday night. Krul, whose penalty save from David Dunn proved crucial, is thrilled to see the men from Tyneside continuing to confound their critics.
However, despite having seen his club defy suggestions their fine start to the season would prove something of a flash in the pan, the 23-year-old Dutchman is refusing to sit back and enjoy himself. Krul said: "We really want to push on for the second half of the season because we are up there and the chance is there.
"We really have to push on. I don't think we should rest on our laurels, we just have to really crack on now.
"We have got a fantastic squad and if we can prove we are a top-six team at the end of the season, that will attract more players to the club and then we can really push on."
Alan Pardew's squad will be boosted for Sunday's game by their sole January signing, former Freiburg striker Papiss Demba Cisse, who is available for the first time following his return, along with 15-goal leading scorer Demba Ba, from Senegal's ill-fated African Nations Cup campaign. With Ivory Coast midfielder Cheick Tiote still involved in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, the Magpies will be stronger still in a few weeks' time. Krul said:
"Demba has been amazing, and to get his mate with him, that's a bonus and I am looking forward to seeing them both back.
"Hopefully Cheick won't be too much longer because he is a fantastic player for us as well."
Newcastle's current standing - they entered the weekend with only Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea ahead of them and both Arsenal and Liverpool in their wake - has confounded those who expected them to slide down the table after their 11-game unbeaten start to the season ended. Krul has been one of their stand-out performers to date along with skipper Fabricio Coloccini, Tiote and Ba, although the Den Haag-born keeper insists the plaudits have to be shared around.
He said: "The whole team has been amazing. I am glad everybody is getting praise.
"The defence in the first 11 games was amazing because we were unbeaten.
"It's great. We are working hard at it and we stand fifth in the league now, so we are doing great."
Aston Villa striker Darren Bent has hailed Newcastle legend Alan Shearer as "simply the best" after joining him as part of the Barclays Premier League 100-goal club. Bent netted his 100th top-flight goal against QPR in midweek but heads to Newcastle still 160 short of hometown hero Shearer.
Bent, who will be hoping to fill Shearer's old number nine shirt for England at this summer's European Championships, knows it would be something special if he could mirror the now-retired striker's achievements. He can go some way to maintaining some Shearer-esque form by scoring for a fifth successive game on Sunday, and he said:
"I don't think I could ever be hero-worshipped like Shearer was at Newcastle. I'm not sure anyone could.
"He was a real icon of our domestic game - and world football too. He was someone I looked up to greatly. "He is a real legend up there because he moved to Newcastle and stayed up there for the rest of his career. He is a true Toon icon.
"If I could be half as much of a icon for Villa as he is at Newcastle, it would be amazing. It would mean I was doing something right in claret and blue!"
Bent has scored 19 goals in 38 games since joining Villa just over 12 months ago - an average of a goal every two games. He accepts he has work to do to catch up with Shearer, though, adding:
"Alan is way out in front in that 100 goals club that I've been privileged to join. He's simply the best striker to have ever come out of this country. I have nothing but admiration for him.
"He's one of the three very best strikers to have played in the Premier League along with Thierry Henry and Andy Cole. For me they are the best three."
Bent can expect a hot reception from the Newcastle fans after his spell at local rivals Sunderland, but he is keen to celebrate Monday's 28th birthday a day early. Villa will give a late fitness check to striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, who missed the QPR game with hamstring and back injuries. end
Newcastle V Aston Villa - view commentary, squad, and statictics of the game live.
Source: PA
