'Results will turn': Kieran Trippier pledges good times are coming to Newcastle United fans
If you were to look at the Premier League table, you'd think Newcastle United's season was a complete disaster so far, but then if you looked at the Champions League table, you'd think they were having their best season ever. Add to that the fact that the Magpies are in the quarter final of the Carabao Cup for the fourth year in a row, then are things really that bleak?
Newcastle fans are more confused than anything as they have seen their side play some brilliant football this season, even if the results didn't necessarily follow.
For some reason, though, Newcastle simply cannot kill games off away from home. The last two games on the road in the Premier League saw Eddie Howe's boys take the lead, but both games ended in a 3-1 defeat against sides we really should be beating.
Something just isn't clicking away from home, and it's down to Howe, his team and his players to work out what that is and put it right.
Kieran Trippier vows the players will give 110%, always
After the away performances this season, it's a huge ask for them to put things right on Saturday as they face Manchester City at the Etihad, but putting in a big performance would go a long way to papering over the cracks.
Kieran Trippier has addressed the poor form in an interview with BBC Newcastle and has vowed that the players will never give up trying to put things right, calling back to his first game for the club, the 1-0 defeat to Cambridge, as evidence that we've been lower than this and come back.
"Just look back at the first game against Cambridge. We understand the supporters' frustration at the moment.
"But that comes with - how can I put it - how quickly we have transitioned as a team, as a club, as a fanbase.
"It is demanding, Champions League, Premier League, Carabao Cup, FA Cup - but there are no excuses from us players. We know we need to perform better, especially away from home.
"And that will come, all we players can promise is that results will turn especially away from home. As always, we give 110%."
Just give it all you've got, lads
Effort hasn't usually been the issue for Newcastle, but recently, one or two players have come in for a fair bit of flak for what has been perceived to be a lack of endeavour.
We aren't expecting miracles on Saturday, but we want to be able to say that the lads gave everything if we come away empty-handed once again.
The international break may have come at the right time for Eddie Howe this time, giving him a bit of time to assess and address the issues. We'll soon see.
