Merson tips Magpies to survive in top flight - and hopes they will be up for the cup

PAUL Merson says survival will be enough for Newcastle United in this season’s Premier League – but he wants them to show more ambition in the cup competitions.

The former Arsenal and England player was in the North East on Friday, joining Sky Sports colleague Jeff Stelling on the final leg of his charity tour.

Stelling walked 15 marathons in 15 days, taking him from St James’ Park in Exeter to its namesake in Newcastle to raise money for Prostate Cancer UK.

After spending last season in the Championship, Merson is delighted the Gallowgate ground will be a Premier League venue once more in 2017-18.

He said: “They are back where they deserve to be, a big club like Newcastle.

“I think (their goal should be to) stay up, 13th, 14th but - I say it all the time – I would love them to have a cup run.

“Last season they were beaten by Oxford United (in the FA Cup).

“I would just like them to have a right go in the cups because they need to win a cup.

“It is a big football club and to not win a trophy for that long – I don’t want Newcastle to be a club which is just playing to stay in the Premier League and rests everybody in the cup competitions.

“I think they will be all right in the Premier League, especially with a great manager (Rafa Benitez).”

Newcastle have not won a major domestic trophy since the 1955 FA Cup, although they did lift the Fairs Cup in 1969. They have never won the League Cup.

Incredibly, the Magpies have never progressed beyond the fourth round of the FA Cup since Mike Ashley bought the club in 2007.

Last season they equalled their best League Cup performance under his ownership by reaching the quarter-finals - only for Hull City to knock them out in extra-time.

It was club policy to concentrate on the much more lucrative league competition but this had been dropped by the time Steve McClaren came in as manager.