Eddie Howe has warned his victorious Newcastle United players that he will not be afraid to drop them if they don't build on the spirited win against Everton.
Newcastle moved out of the relegation zone for the first time since October following a 3-1 victory against the Toffees at St James' Park on Tuesday night.
Howe's decision to keep faith with the side who beat Leeds in Newcastle's previous game certainly paid off after the Magpies' head coach resisted starting new signings Bruno Guimaraes and Dan Burn.
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Although debutant Matt Targett came in for the injured Paul Dummett, that was the only change Howe made from the 1-0 win at Elland Road 17 days previously and, even then, it was enforced.
However, given the increased competition in the squad, those survivors from the Ashley era knew they needed to perform against Everton following the arrival of Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Guimaraes, Targett and Burn last month.
Trippier may have been the pick of the bunch on Tuesday night but, perhaps, tellingly, Jamaal Lascelles, Joe Willock, Ryan Fraser and Allan Saint-Maximin were among those who really impressed.
The long-serving Jonjo Shelvey previously admitted that the new signings had created 'that bit of uncertainty in terms of you don't know where you're going to be playing' and that's exactly what Howe wanted.
"Like any team sport, you need pushing," the Newcastle boss told reporters on Zoom. "You're not going to give your best performances if you feel you're comfortable in the team every week. Part of the reason of signing new players is to push them.
"I've always said you don't want the team to pick itself. You don't want easy decisions when you're in my shoes. You want tough calls.
"I had tough calls in this game in many different areas of the team, but that's what I'm after. That will inspire the players to give more and I thought you could see that.
"No player is certain of their place under my management because if they don't perform, they will come out of the team. It's as simple as that because I'll always make the decision for the benefit of the team. It always has to be the team first over any individual."
After securing back-to-back wins for the first time since May, Newcastle are now bidding to win three league games in a row for the first time since 2018 against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Howe will again be forced into a change at left-back - Targett will be unable to face his parent club - while Trippier is being assessed after hobbling off with a calf injury.
Although Guimaraes caught the eye during a brief cameo in the closing stages of his debut, Howe may opt to again keep faith with those starters from the Everton triumph who are fit to play.
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