Saturday's 2-1 home win over Birmingham, their first in five games, eased the Magpies onto 44 points and brought an end to any fears that they could be dragged into the fight for survival. Last season's Coca-Cola Championship winners have rarely been close to being involved in the scrap at the foot of the table, and like fellow promoted side West Brom have coped admirably with their return to the top flight. However, within minutes of achieving their season's aim on Saturday evening, Newcastle were already plotting the way ahead, and in the short-term that means finishing the campaign strongly. Pardew said: "Every week is an important game for this club. "The challenge is for the players we have now to show me that they should be in the starting XI for next year because there's no doubt that I will be bringing in new players. It's a nice challenge for them to show their worth."
