Keegan - Win and we are safe

Magpies boss labels Royals clash "biggest of the season"

By Joe Drabble   Last updated: 4th April 2008

Birmingham v Newcastle Kevin Keegan

Keegan: Massive game

A win against Reading should see us stay in the Premier League next year but that's not 100% because you are trying to predict results in football which is not easy.

Kevin Keegan
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Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan is confident a win over Reading on Saturday will confirm the Magpies' Premier League status.

Back-to-back wins over Fulham and Tottenham have seen Keegan's men move nine points away from the drop zone with six games remaining.

The former England head coach believes Newcastle's clash with fellow relegation rivals Reading at St James' Park is the 'biggest of the season', and three points for his men should guarantee a place in the top flight next term.

"The Reading game now becomes the biggest game of the season for us," Keegan told Sky Sports News.

"Three points there and I think we should be safe - I've always said 40 points but with teams down the bottom having to play each other - probably less than 40 will do.

Impressive

"A win against Reading should see us stay in the Premier League next year but that's not 100 per cent because you are trying to predict results in football which is not easy.

"There will be twists and turns but we have the destiny of this club in our hands now, whereas a few weeks ago it looked like we might need a bit of help from elsewhere."

Keegan heaped praised on his players following their impressive 4-1 win over Spurs at White Hart Lane - claiming his side would have given most teams a run for their money with the level of quality they produced.

"Look at the performance at Spurs," Keegan said. "It was a team that played with confidence, and played with belief that we could only get from winning a football match.

"Although people have taken the accolades away from us because Spurs weren't very good that day, I think we were so good that whoever we would have played that day would have had a struggle against us.