Damien Duff concedes Newcastle are in a fight for survival following a wretched run of form.
Winger aware of pain of relegation
Damien Duff concedes Newcastle United are in a fight for Premier League survival following a wretched run of form.
The Magpies sit six points clear of the relegation zone, but Saturday's 4-1 defeat at Aston Villa was a ninth league game without a win.
Irish winger Duff was part of a Blackburn Rovers squad which was relegated from the top flight in 1999 and he sees parallels with Newcastle's current situation.
He insists talk of relegation has not yet crept into the dressing room, but accepts the team need to start picking up points.
"When I was at Blackburn it was said that they were too good to go down and I went down with them," said Duff in
The Sun.
Tough run-in
"We are in a fight. We have got a tough run-in and need to start picking up points because we haven't done it of late.
"Relegation hasn't been mentioned in team-talks because we are trying to stay positive.
"But anyone who has got half a brain can see we need to pick up points, and the sooner the better.
"We have got a lot of work to do. We are way off what Newcastle United expects.
"It's probably a good thing we haven't got a game as it gives us two weeks to work on the training ground."
