The five games that could now save Newcastle United's Premier League status

When Newcastle United were sat without a victory and 8/15 favourites to be relegated at the start of December some observers were queuing up to tell Geordie fans the club was doomed.

It was an easy shout to make back then as the Magpies were slumped at the bottom of the table after a 1-1 draw with Norwich City on just seven points.

The statistics and the history books told us then that side had ever survived the drop after such a poor start to a Premier League campaign.

Back then I tried to err on the side of positivity and suggest the 10 wins needed that would take Newcastle to 37 points - and keep the Magpies afloat in the top-flight.

My win percentage could be better on that score but I've managed to call three games from the five I suggested as wins and the other two have been draws.

Newcastle beat Burnley, Everton, Aston Villa but only drew with Man United and Watford, two encounters United came close to winning.

However, they recovered other points that I didn't expect back in early December, such as the 1-0 win at Leeds and the creditable draw at West Ham at the weekend.

That leaves Newcastle on 22 points and sitting in 17th place but in a much healthier position than the morning after the draw with the Canaries.

With 14 matches remaining they need 15 points to reach 37 points.

What does that mean after a slight recalculation?

It's five more wins from the six other games I called being the rearranged trip to Brentford (a) this weekend, Brighton & Hove Albion (March 5), Southampton (March 10), Crystal Palace (March 19) and Norwich (a) April 23.

Up until Burnley's victory last night against Spurs at Turf Moor, things were looking a little bit more comfortable for the Magpies but that win has certainly focused