Fancy Them – Former Top Flight Defender Backing Newcastle United For Top Four

Kenny Cunningham is of the view that Newcastle United are favourites to land a Champions League spot, with their opposition not being up to the mark this season.

Under Eddie Howe’s management, Newcastle are having an impressive season and they are currently in third place with 50 points from 27 matches.

With nine games to go, Newcastle are one of the prime candidates to land a spot in the Champions League next season, which would be their first appearance since the 2003/04 season.

And Cunningham is confident that Newcastle will qualify for the Champions League next season and praised Howe for putting together a good squad capable of accomplishing the task.

Cunningham also pointed out that with top opponents like Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea not being at their best and Manchester United going through a transition phase, it helps their cause massively.

“I think they will [finish in the top four]”, Cunningham said on Off the Ball.

“I’ve fancied them, to be honest, for quite some time.

“I just like what I saw as soon as he got in there, Eddie Howe, and certainly in the early part of this season, I just thought a window of opportunity presented itself.

“Liverpool having their issues obviously this season.

“Tottenham have been really inconsistent this season.

“Manchester United had a very slow start to the season, they are obviously in transition,

“Chelsea are almost self-imploding.

“So very early in the season you looked at them and thought what a real window of opportunity for somebody like Newcastle because of the strengths, to the manager for the reasons in terms of the squad that he has put together just felt as if yes, this could be their year.”

Newcastle will next take on West Ham United on Wednesday and they will be hoping to extend their winning streak to four games against David Moyes’ side.