NEWCASTLE United may be leading the Championship promotion race – but Steve Harper knows there are still plenty of teams trying to trip them up as he delivered a stark reminder about the challenges lying in wait for them this season.
United will return to league action with a tough trip to a resurgent Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening with a healthy three-point lead at the top of the Coca-Cola Championship table. But, having failed to win either home game against QPR and Bristol City before the international break, Harper knows the chasing pack are far too close for anyone at St James’s Park to be sitting comfortably.
The Magpies have, at times, looked a class above the rest of the Championship, although complacency and arrogance are a constant risk for a team which many still hope is set for another humiliating tumble after relegation from the Premier League.
“We’ve had a good start to the season and with a quarter of the season gone we are happy with where we are,” said Harper, who has been in impressive form as first-choice goalkeeper this season.
“But there is a long way to go. We haven’t achieved anything yet.
“We can not afford to underestimate this division.
“There are 23 other teams in there who could all stop us from getting promoted. There are a lot of games in this league, more games than we are used to playing with a smaller squad than we are used to having.
“In this league, everybody is capable of beating everybody else. We’ve got to stay at a level where we are above that and that is going to take a lot of hard work.” The draws against QPR and Bristol City were a little unfortunate, but Harper is adamant they should remind people that Newcastle will never have everything go their own way.
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