GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM claims Newcastle United’s performances in the first two months of the season have been much better than their position at the bottom of the table would suggest.

The Magpies crashed to the foot of the league when they slumped to a 6-1 defeat at Manchester City at the weekend, and are still looking for their first Premier League win of the season.

They are already five points adrift of safety, but Wijnaldum maintains the quality of their displays in the opening eight games has not been reflected in their points tally.

The midfielder, who moved to Tyneside in a £14.5m summer move from PSV Eindhoven, is currently on international duty with Holland, and while he admits he is not happy with the Magpies’ league position, he insists it is much too early to be panicking.

“I think the games we have played have been pretty nice,” said Wijnaldum. “But we just haven’t had the results. And now that is important because we are bottom, which isn’t so good.

“Anyone can beat anyone else, and everything is to be expected in this league. You just need to see the results. You play against world-class players, while the lesser teams are also good. It’s a tough league.”

Newcastle’s struggles on the Premier League stage are being replicated by Holland in the current round of European Championships qualifiers.

The Dutch squad find themselves in fourth position ahead of their final two Group A matches against Kazakhstan and Czech Republic, and are reliant upon Turkey slipping up if they are to scramble into a play-off place for next summer’s finals in France.

“It is just annoying that we are dependent on Turkey,” said Wijnaldum. “Everyone knows the importance of these two games – we just have to win them and look no further.”

Wijnaldum was Newcastle’s highest-profile addition in the summer, and the club’s hierarchy are already planning for January’s transfer window.

Steve McClaren, Graham Carr and Lee Charnley hope to finish the international break with a clear idea of where they will turn at the start of the new year, with the Italian media linking the Magpies with Inter Milan centre-half Andrea Ranocchia.

Ranocchia, who is 27, is expected to leave the San Siro in January in an attempt to increase his chances of making the Italy squad for Euro 2016.

He is currently behind Miranda, Jeison Murillo and Gary Medel in Roberto Mancini’s defensive pecking order, and has been scouted by Tottenham and Everton in the past.