'You never know': Kieran Trippier is refusing to give up on ambitious Newcastle target this season

It's amazing what a win can do to a team, and indeed a fanbase's confidence.

Newcastle United earned themselves three points on the road at the weekend, barging past Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, although it wasn't an easy feat. with the hosts twice levelling the score along the way.

However, a win is a win and that's exactly what Newcastle needed having essentially dropped two points at home the week before against Luton Town.

Eddie Howe believes that the gap to the top four is not unassailable

Prior to the Aston Villa and Luton games, Eddie Howe had mentioned how he still believes Newcastle could sneak into the top four, but after coming away with just a point from Luton, that belief had all-but gone.

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Cut to full-time on Saturday and suddenly that belief is back. Of course, we know it's not going to be easy, there's still an 11-point gap to close on Tottenham but it's not beyond the realms of possibility.

Certainly, Kieran Trippier doesn't think so as he told reporters after the Forest game that he still has his eye on the top four (via The Chronicle).

"Never say never"

"There’s still a lot of points to play for and we’re not going to give up on the top four. 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."

The one thing that the last two games have shown is that Newcastle definitely have that "never say die" spirit. After going two goals behind at Luton and fighting back for a point, and twice being pegged back by Forest and still going on to win, it shows that the lads really are up for this.