I can be a Ki member of Toon squad

LET’S have a repeat please. I mean last week Watford, a club small in tradition but punching way above its weight and seventh-top, arrived at SJP a whopping 16 points ahead of United. A couple of hours later the scoreboard read: Newcastle 1 Watford 0.

Tomorrow Bournemouth, a club like Watford who have known the bottom division of the Football League, pitch up sixth in a tell-tale table with a 14-point advantage over their hosts.

However, we’re not greedy, we’ll take precisely the same scoreline and the same three points. Then life will indeed take on a different hue.

Not that it will be easy. Nothing is with this Magpies side. They are incapable of a stroll in the park.

This is a confrontation between the grand master who has won everything and the young up-andcomer who has revolutionised a club, catapulting it through the pyramid system and appears to be the future of football.

Rafa Benitez and Eddie Howe have, however, enjoyed contrasting seasons – one living on crumbs while the other has enjoyed his fill at the top table.

Bournemouth under Howe represent what with Sky’s lashings of money can be achieved if a club, however limited at the gate, is run well while big names are marooned beneath them – Leeds United, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship, Sunderland and Portsmouth in League One.

Irony of ironies: Benitez had been criticised as much as a respected coach can during a 10-match winless run for uninspiring substitutions yet when a victory at last comes our way and it is triggered by United’s three subs every single change was forced through injury rather than inspired by the manager’s tactical cuteness! Indeed Ki and Fabian Schar had been largely shunned since their summer signings, while Ayoze Perez had been dropped for a fixture where he ended up the match-winner. We care not, of course. Three points was all that mattered. We’re beggars not choosers. What is pleasing is that where once incredibly the team appeared to pick itself bar injuries despite defeat after defeat, Ki and Schar have now added much-needed competition to the mix.

A significantly superior goal difference to fellow basement dwellers may be worth another point, which is the reason United are currently out of the bottom three, and would be enough if sustained to keep them up at the end of the season by the slimmest of margins.

However, that must not camouflage the fact that back-to-back victories is the requirement come tomorrow tea if tensions are to be eased.

A single victory alone doesn’t mean dark clouds have been swept away to be replaced by unrelenting sunshine.

Salomon Rondon, perhaps the biggest hope of a precious goal, has told us that Newcastle fans are the best he’s played in front of and can’t wait to reward them. Well, Bournemouth might be a good place to start my son.

Matt Ritchie, once of that parish, may also like to open his PL account for the season.

We would be eternally grateful to either of them.

There is plenty heroes. of room for KI Sung-yueng believes he can play an influential role for Newcastle United against AFC Bournemouth – if Jonjo Shelvey is ruled out through injury.

During last weekend’s victory over Watford, Ki made a matchwinning contribution by providing an assist and an assured all-around performance after coming on to replace Shelvey during the second half.

England international Shelvey is being assessed after picking up a muscular injury, and he remains doubtful for Saturday’s clash with Bournemouth.

And, though Ki hopes his former Swansea City team-mate returns to full fitness as quickly as possible, the South Korea international is determined to impress if he starts.

The 29-year-old has made only four appearances so far this season since arriving on a free transfer from Swansea during the summer – but he hopes to make just his third start of the campaign this weekend.

“Jonjo is a big part of the team and he helps the team a lot because he can control the game,” Ki told nufcTV.

“Maybe he could be a big loss for us if he is injured, but in my mind when I came on to the pitch I had to get myself in the mindset to help the team win the game.

“I want to help the team as much as I can so I just made sure I did, and I must do again. I’m very pleased and hopefully Jonjo will not be out injured for too long.”

After a woeful 10-game winless start to the campaign, the mood on Tyneside has improved immeasurably over the course of the past week following that victory over Watford.

However, Ki insists United are far from content with a solitary win and, given that goal difference alone is keeping the Magpies out of the drop zone, it is essential Newcastle record another positive result against Bournemouth.

“It took a few months to win the first game. Winning a game is always a brilliant feeling, and particularly for the fans because they are always behind us even though we were in a tough moment,” Ki added.

“Of course there were some difficult times for me and I had to wait my turn until I got my chance to play. But someone can get injured and then you have to quickly be ready...I believe that the squad we have has great quality, and we believe we can stay in the Premier League, for sure. But we have to show ourselves on the pitch, and the Bournemouth game will be difficult. But we believe in each other - and I believe this squad can stay in the Premier League.”

A single victory alone doesn’t mean dark clouds have been swept away to be replaced by unrelenting sunshine