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Newcastle full-back Lewis Hall remains optimistic about the club’s chances of securing European football as they aim to revive a challenging season.
Following a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest on Sunday, Eddie Howe’s team sit in 13th place in the Premier League. Harvey Barnes scored his 16th goal of the campaign, which seemed to lift the Magpies to ninth and keep their faint European hopes alive. However, Elliot Anderson’s late equalizer against his former club denied Newcastle the win, leaving them six points behind seventh-placed Brighton in the tightly contested race for Europe.
“We’re relying on other results, which is never ideal,” Hall said. “We have to focus on winning our last two games, and if that puts us in contention, we can be proud of the turnaround.”
“Any European competition would mean a lot to the club and the fans. They’ve supported us through a tough period, so it would be great to give them something to celebrate at the end of the season.”
Newcastle finished fifth last season but have dropped 27 points from winning positions this term, dashing their hopes of returning to the Champions League. They now host West Ham on Saturday before wrapping up the season at Fulham.
Hall dismissed the notion that the team is too fragile when protecting a lead. “I wouldn’t say soft, but it’s something we’ve analyzed and need to address. Dropping points from winning positions happens—27 sounds like a big number, but even in good seasons we’ve lost points that way. We have two games left, and we must avoid letting it happen again.”