Promotion rivals are ‘irritating’ us says Colback
NEWCASTLE v ASTON VILLA
The Geordies have seen their cushion in the top two of the Championship cut to five points by Huddersfield’s good form.
Rafa Benitez (right) and his side face Aston Villa tonight needing a win to overhaul Brighton, who have gone top.
Colback said: “It’s getting irritating now actually. The gap obviously was a bit more healthy, they have closed that gap.
“But we’ve got to play everyone around us. Again, it shows it’s in our own hands.” Newcastle have a minimum target of 90 points this season, one which has guaranteed promotion for the last 20 years.
They have a seasondefining trio of away games coming up after next weekend, at Reading, Brighton and Huddersfield.
He added: “We know that we’ve put ourselves in a position where if we keep winning games or stay unbeaten and are consistent, then we’ll go up so we will focus on that first and foremost.
“I think we have just been consistent. We have had setbacks, but have always reacted to them well. We’ve never really suffered many consecutive defeats or had a spell where we have not won a game for a while.”
Colback insists Newcastle have the ability to grind out the wins needed to be promoted. He said: “It is a strong squad in terms of the characters we have got here. “We are all pulling in the same direction and all want the same thing and that is to be promoted. We know we have to react to setbacks. “The lads who were part of the relegation last season want to put that right because no one wants a relegation on their CV. “If that happens, the least you can do is to fight as hard as you can to put that right.” Colback says Bruce, his boss at Sunderland, will turn around Villa’s fortunes. He added: “A lot of it is down to his experience.
“I had quite a positive season with Steve when I first got involved. We finished 10th.
“I just found him easy to work with and his ideas easy to understand.
“He was good to be around because he knew how to make players feel good. He also knew when to be tough.”