Magpies won’t get carried away (From The Northern Echo)

Magpies won’t get carried away

12:10pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Newcastle United News By Steph Clark

JONAS Gutierrez has warned Newcastle United they must not get carried away by their position in the Premier League – or else they risk undoing what they have already achieved this season.

Sunday’s win over Aston Villa saw Newcastle move back up to fifth in the table after they had momentarily been knocked down a place when Arsenal beat Blackburn Rovers the previous day.

Next up for Alan Pardew’s side is a trip to north London to face third-placed Tottenham on Saturday and depending on Chelsea’s result at Everton, a win could see the Magpies move up into the final Champions League spot.

Talk of a top-five finish might be gathering pace across Tyneside, but such conversation can’t be heard inside the Magpies’ dressing room with Gutierrez insisting the squad must keep their focus.

“We are not thinking about that. We are just thinking about the next game,” the Argentinean said.

“We know we are having a great season but we have to focus game-by-game and that means no thinking ahead of ourselves.

“We know where we are and we know that the next game is going to be very hard. We are thinking about Tottenham only – no-one else.

“We are trying to focus on the games that we have. We have to continue approaching games in the same way that we have approached games at the start of the season.

“That is one of the best things that we have managed to do this season – we must continue that.”

Sunday also saw the return of Demba Ba, as well as the debut of £9m striker Papiss Cisse and Gutierrez admits he didn’t expect the Senegalese to make such an impact on his debut after scoring a stunning winner.

He said: “Papiss came on because of an injury and it is really good that he did well too but the really important thing is came on and worked really hard for the team.

“It was strange, we’ve only trained two days with him. We didn’t know how he was going to do. You can only really tell what someone is like from playing in games with him.

“He did well for the team, we have a good understanding among all the players already.

“We always knew the type of player that he is but we didn’t know what he could do because you only learn about a player when you play with him.

“It was important that his first moment with the club was to score.

“It was a moment of sheer class. I was thinking ‘What will he do?’ when I crossed the ball in but it was really good control and a great finish. We are really happy about that goal because it was the second one and we won the game.

“When Demba left he was in brilliant form and we missed him. Now he is back and he scored again so it is like nothing has changed.’’ And having talked little English when he first arrived on Tyneside in 2008, Gutierrez understands how important it is for Cisse to learn quickly.

“He does not speak English yet, but I think he can understand what we’re saying in the changing room and the things that people are saying the dressing room, but it is important that he has lessons because he will learn,” said Gutierrez, speaking at a community event at Newcastle School for Boys to help pupils with Spanish and French lessons.

Another player Gutierrez is enjoying playing with at Newcastle is Davide Santon.

The pair have formed an encouraging partnership down the left wing for Pardew and although he has been impressed with the young Italian, Gutierrez admits he will only get better as he adjusts to English football.

He said: “I am finding it good. He’s an offensive player as well – like me.

“When we have to defend we try and hold it all together.

But I think he’s a really, really good player.

“He is only really, really young. The Premier League is a very tough league – it takes a long time for you to get ready for it, but he has made a very good start.

“He loves to get forward. He sometimes has to know the moment to go and the moment to stay back, but he is young, he will learn that.

“Sometimes he can go, sometimes he should stay. I don’t mind sharing the defensive responsibilities with him.

I like helping him.”