Hughton issues drop warning

Hughton: Relegation warning

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Chris Hughton has told his Newcastle side they are not too good to be relegated from the Premier League.

The Magpies assistant manager has taken over first-team affairs in the wake of Joe Kinnear's enforced absence after heart surgery.

And the Toon caretaker boss is concerned as the Magpies have been sucked back into the choppy waters of potential relegation.

Sunday's defeat to Bolton, coupled with Blackburn, Middlesbrough and Stoke all picking up points over the weekend, means Newcastle hover just two points above the dreaded top-flight trapdoor.

And Hughton has told his squad if they feel they are too good to go down, then they must think again.

Warning

"That is a fact, there is no team that's too good to go down," he said.

"What we have got to make sure we do is have enough character and enough strength, that we can get the better players on the park at the right times and show enough to get us away from that group down at the bottom.

"It just so happens that our next fixture is a very difficult fixture.

"But it is not just about Manchester United, it's the series of games we have after that and making sure we get enough points from those games to stay in this division."

Wednesday's fixture sees Sir Alex Ferguson's newly crowned Carling Cup winners travel to St James' Park, which Newcastle defender Jose Enrique is relishing.

The Spanish full-back, an unused substitute in the Magpies' 1-1 draw with United at Old Trafford at the start of the season, cannot wait to test his skills against the Red Devils' Cristiano Ronaldo.

Challenge

"Ronaldo is the best player I have played against in the Premier League. He scored so many goals last year and he won every award," the 23-year-old said.

"But I don't think about how good a player is. It's a good test for me and I am looking forward to it.

"I don't have a problem playing against Ronaldo or any other player. I want to play against the best players in the world and the best teams.

"And it's not just about Ronaldo - they have 10 other fine players out there. They are all world-class players.

"I'm thinking and focusing on getting three points rather than playing against Ronaldo."