Newcastle United may be sitting in 13th place, but Lewis Hall isn't ready to wave the white flag on European qualification just yet. The Magpies' season has been a rollercoaster, but the young full-back believes there's still a glimmer of hope as they fight to salvage something special from a challenging campaign.
Sunday's 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest was a bitter pill to swallow. Harvey Barnes fired home his 16th goal of the season—a strike that looked destined to lift Eddie Howe's men to ninth and keep their European dreams alive. But then came the twist: Elliot Anderson, facing his boyhood club, scored a late equalizer that left Newcastle six points adrift of seventh-placed Brighton in a fiercely competitive race for continental football.
"We're relying on other results, which is never ideal," Hall admitted. "But we need to focus on winning our next two games. If that puts us in a position to sneak into Europe, we'll be thrilled with how we've turned things around. Any European football would be massive for the club and the fans. They've stuck with us through a tough period, so giving them something to cheer about at the end of the season would mean everything."
It's been a stark contrast to last season's fifth-place finish. The Magpies have dropped a staggering 27 points from winning positions this term, dashing hopes of a return to the Champions League. But Hall isn't blaming fragility—he's calling it a fixable flaw. "I wouldn't say we're soft," he explained. "It's something we've looked at and want to put right. Dropping points from winning positions happens across a season, but 27 is a big number. We have two games left—against West Ham at home and then at Fulham—and we have to make sure it doesn't happen again."
For fans and neutrals alike, Newcastle's fight for Europe is far from over. With the right gear and the right mindset, this squad could still write a memorable finish to their season. After all, in football—and in sportswear—it's all about pushing through the tough patches to cross the finish line in style.