OPINION
Sky Sports pundit Danny Mills believes Newcastle United can realistically finish as high as eighth in the Premier League this season.
The former Leeds United player, regularly seen on Sky’s Football Centre, was asked where the Magpies could aim to finish in the league this season especially considering how much they have spent.
“Realistically you look at them and think anywhere between 8th and 15th, that middle section is so so tight,” said Mills on Sky Sports’ The Debate (23:03, Sky Sports Main Event, Friday March 29th).
“I don’t see…yes they have a fantastic coach/manager but they haven’t quite got the quality to break into the top eight.
“But after that the group behind, it’s ninth to 15th, maybe three or four points come the end of the season.
“You have to say with the squad, the budget they’ve had, it would be a success.”
While Mills takes a little dig at the quality of the Magpies’ squad, all Newcastle fans must be thrilled that he genuinely believes they can finish eighth.
If you have offered finishing eighth to any Newcastle fan after the summer transfer window slammed shut, they would have snapped your arm off and insisted you were in dream land.
The Magpies didn’t do anywhere near enough business to improve their squad in summer, especially when other clubs were splashing the cash for fun, yet that hasn’t seem them suffer too much as a result.
Rafa Benitez’s side currently sit 13th in the table and are nine points off eighth-placed Watford, but clearly Mills thinks the Magpies are capable of stringing a few results together.
While Mills may be ambitious with his prediction, it will still leave a smile on the face of Magpies supporters.
