FOUR wins in a row finally gave Newcastle United’s season lift-off, and midfielder Jack Colback feels a fifth this weekend would make the rest of the Premier League wary of the heightened Tyneside threat.

The Magpies head to West Brom on Sunday on the back of victories over Leicester, Tottenham, Manchester City and Liverpool. Three of those have arrived in the league and the winner at the Hawthorns on Sunday is likely to move in to a top ten place.

It's a scenario which seemed improbable at the beginning of last month when the pressure on Alan Pardew to step down was strong after failing to win any of their opening seven top-flight fixtures.

Pressure has eased during the last fortnight and Colback thinks the run, extended courtesy of a 1-0 win over Liverpool, should have made other teams take notice of what qualities Pardew’s squad has.

“There are options all over the field at the minute, but that comes with winning,” said Colback. “The quality was always there, but we weren’t winning games and when you go on a run without a win, it can be difficult.

“Things go against you a bit cruelly, but we’ve won four in a row now and the confidence is showing. We look solid at the back, and when we go forward we look a real threat. I think teams watching us will be highlighting that danger that we maybe weren’t showing in the first few games.”

Considering the run of fixtures Newcastle have coming up, it is understandable there is hope around St James’ Park that Pardew can keep his team looking up rather than down the standings.

After the international fortnight which follows the trip to West Brom, a home date with Queens Park Rangers comes before back-to-back trips to West Ham and Burnley.

Colback said: “We’ve got one more game before the break, and if we could win, it would really cap off what’s been a pretty good spell for us. It’s amazing what a few wins can do. We were really struggling in the bottom three and it was horrible looking at the league table every time on the TV, but we’ve won three games now and we briefly went into the top ten at the weekend.

“If we can beat West Brom and then the home game against QPR, we could be absolutely flying. But we’ve just got to look at West Brom first and try to win that.”

Newcastle’s recent turnaround was helped by the introduction of different players to the first team picture, including the likes of Spanish striker Ayoze Perez and Mehdi Abeid, alongside older hands such as Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor.

“I think we always felt this was just around the corner,” said Colback, signed in the summer from Sunderland. “We were playing well but not winning. We always stuck together, and the manager and staff always stayed positive.

“That’s football – you go through rough patches and then it turns round. We’re getting that bit of luck now we weren’t quite getting before and we’re defending well. We probably could have played better against Liverpool, but we won and that’s what’s important.

“Mehdi has shown he’s capable of handling the step up to this level. He’s a very good player. He went out on loan last season in the Greek league (to Panathinaikos) and done very well.

“ You can see in training that he’s got the ability to be able to do it in this league, and he’s shown twice now that he can. But everyone who has come in has done well, and it gives the manager a tough decision.”

Colback’s own chances of a second England call should be boosted after missing out on a first cap in September when he was forced to withdraw from the squad through injury.

The 25-year-old said: “Whatever happens, happens. I’m just concentrating on trying to play well for Newcastle. I’m pretty happy with the way I’ve played, and I feel like I’ve been pretty consistent for most of the season.

“We’re getting the team results to go with it now, and that’s the most important thing. The fans have been brilliant, they’ve stuck with us through a difficult period and now they’re getting their rewards.

“What’s important is the results and we’re bringing results that the club are used to, and that they should be getting because it’s a fantastic club with a fantastic fan base. We’re finally paying them back a bit for their loyalty.”