Source: Northern_Echo
Nolan warns team-mates there’s hard work ahead
KEVIN NOLAN feels Newcastle have established a sizeable gap between themselves and the play-off places, but the Magpies midfielder has warned his team-mates that things could turn around quickly if they take their foot off the gas.[LNB] Having won five games on the spin, Chris Hughton's side are eight points clear of thirdplaced Leicester City ahead of this afternoon's home game with Watford.[LNB] That represents a considerable cushion as they approach the midway point of the campaign, and after weeks of congestion at the top of the table, Nolan is delighted to see some daylight appearing between Newcastle and West Brom and the rest.[LNB] It's a great run we're in at the moment, said the Liverpudlian, who is Newcastle's leading scorer with eight Championship goals. We've won five in a row and we're looking really strong.[LNB] Unfortunately, West Brom are doing the same thing behind us and we haven't been able to pull away from them, but we are doing that from the rest of the pack. An eightpoint gap is a sizeable one at this stage of the season.[LNB] That was our main aim, to get into the automatic promotion places and stay there.[LNB] There is a long way to go, but confidence is riding high.[LNB] Last weekend's 3-0 win over Swansea provided a crushing example of Newcastle's strength, with the Magpies claiming a three-goal advantage inside the opening 28 minutes and seeing out the remaining hour with a minimum of fuss.[LNB] They are one of only two Championship sides still unbeaten at home surprise promotion hopefuls Blackpool are the other and while Watford are on the fringe of the play-offs despite last weekend's defeat at Crystal Palace, it would be a surprise if today's game ended in anything other than a home win.[LNB] Things could get tougher in the next week or so, though, with trips to Coventry and Barnsley preceding a North- East derby with Middlesbrough.[LNB] In total, Newcastle will play six matches in the next 24 days, and Nolan accepts that things could look very different if they were to hit a poor patch over the pre-Christmas period.[LNB] You can't afford to get complacent in this league, he said. We're starting again (today), and then it's Wednesday, Saturday for the rest of the month.[LNB] You lose two or three of them, and then you're back amongst the pack and in a bit of trouble again. So you can't afford to get carried away.[LNB] Every game is going to be the same it's going to be a long hard fight until the end of the season. We're up for the fight and I think we've proven that, but we have to keep going. It's a tough old slog.[LNB] After suffering the traumas of relegation, Newcastle's players have deservedly been praised for the committed manner in which they have tackled life in the Championship.[LNB] Their attitude has impressed the majority of the club's supporters, but Nolan insists it is far too early to be handing out bouquets.[LNB] We want to get as far away from the rest of the teams as we can, he said. If we do that, then we can enjoy it. But that probably won't happen until the end of the season.[LNB] We've had a good start, but so what We're top of the league and we've proven a few people wrong but that means nothing. So what[LNB] There's so much work still to be done.[LNB] We want to keep winning games, and we want automatic promotion. It would be nice to be champions but the main thing is simply getting back into the elite.[LNB] Today's St James' Park clash marks the start of a high-profile Tyneside doubleheader.[LNB] Six hours after the Magpies leave the field, Amir Khan will enter the ring in the MetroRadio Arena to defend his WBA light-welterweight title against Ukrainian Dmitriy Salita.[LNB] Having spent ten seasons playing for Khan's hometown team, Bolton Wanderers, Nolan is close friends with the Olympic silver medallist, and he cannot wait to be ringside later tonight.[LNB] I've known Amir for a few years now and he's done fantastically well, he said. He's a very humble and likeable lad. He knows his roots and he keeps his family close.[LNB]
