Week after week, regardless of where Newcastle find themselves in the table, bundles of football fans claim that the Magpies are “too good to go down”.
However, the majority of loyal Toon fans are always first to reject these claims, and rightly so.
The current squad looks good on paper, but the reality is that it is nowhere near the standard required to acquire a top-eight finish, which is what the hierarchy set out to do in the summer.
This is an all-too-familiar situation for the Geordie faithful, as the squad that went down back in 2009 were also labelled “too good to go down”.
With 12 vital matches to go this season, it’s do or die for United. Here are five players in particular that must step up to the plate.