We won't panic despite festive blip, says Ryan Taylor

Dec 30 2009 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal

“We had the same thing a few weeks ago against Bristol City, and sometimes

these things happen. But we’ll push on and hopefully get on another run like we’ve just been on.” The New Year will test Newcastle’s title credentials, especially with the club potentially between signings. Zurab Khizanishvili and Marlon Harewood have both been sent back from loans and manager Chris Hughton appears to be carefully assessing his options before deciding whether to bring them back to St James’ Park or pursue alternative targets.

“We have a lot of big games coming up in January, and we’re all very mindful of that,” said Taylor. “We play a lot of the sides that are challenging at the top of the league in the first five or six weeks of the New Year and they’re obviously going to be important matches.

“We have West Brom and Cardiff at home, and Leicester away, and they could go a long way towards determining where everyone’s at come the end of the season. We have to pick up points against teams like that if we want to be pushing clear.”

Meanwhile, Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell has not given up his fight to keep Magpies target Matthew Kilgallon. The central defender is out of contract next summer, but Newcastle and a number of Premier League clubs are interested in a cut-price January deal.

Blackwell is “fearful” of Kilgallon leaving, but added: “I’m not resigned to losing him. The chairman has made it quite plain we’re not going to be held to ransom, so if anything does happen then it’s got to be right for us. Because Killa is in the last five months of his deal he’s in the driving seat.”