Ba denies Magpies are on the slide

Demba Ba insists Newcastle's season is not in danger of unravelling after they suffered their third defeat in four games with a 4-2 loss at Norwich.

An 11-match unbeaten run at the start of the season had put Newcastle on course for a top-four challenge which many thought unlikely after a quiet summer in the transfer market. However, the Magpies have now taken just one point from their last four games to drop to seventh in the table.

Newcastle looked vulnerable at the back without injured captain Steven Taylor and there are also doubts about the club's strength in depth in other areas. But Ba insists Alan Pardew's side will not plummet down the table. He said: "We're not going to let that happen," the striker said. "I'm pretty sure next week we're going to win."

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