Perez wary of record against strugglers
Ayoze Perez thinks Newcastle can take one step closer to the Premier League promised land with victory over Wigan Athletic tomorrow.
But the Spaniard accepts that the Tynesiders will have improve their disappointing record against the Championship’s strugglers in order to do so.
On the verge of his 100th league appearance for the Magpies, the former Tenerife striker admitted: “We have not done well at all against teams who are fighting out for relegation. We have to make sure we are focussed enough, ready to fight. We are all ready for the Wigan game to get the three points.
“The most important thing is that we get the three points.
“Everyone is happy, with desire to play the next months. We are preparing for the next game, trying to win it because it will take us one step closer.”
Pressure is something this United squad will have to deal with over the next eight games.
The fight at the top is something many will never have experienced before, especially not Perez who has suffered one Premier League relegation scrap after the next at SJP.
But he thinks the fact United have had a break, ahead of a crucial month, which contains seven of the eight remaining fixtures, will work in their favour.
He continued: “It has been a good break for us to get some rest – I went back home to get some sun.
“It has been really good for me. I think the team needed it.
“It had been a long time since the last one. Sometimes you need a little time to rest.
“We have got an important month. It has been a very long season. There have been a lot of games. Now we have got just eight more games to reach what we are looking for.
“We have eight games – no pressure. We just need to keep doing what we are doing and have been doing until now.”