Newcastle news: 'It doesn't matter that it's Manchester City' next, says Jamaal Lascelles

Andros Townsend in equally positive mood after starring in 3-0 win over Swansea on Saturday that has reinvigorated survival hopes

Jamaal Lascelles celebrates after scoring against Swansea (Getty)

It has been a season’s long wait for a character and a leader to emerge inside the Newcastle dressing room.

Jamaal Lascelles spoke out in November in a sombre dressing room at Selhurst Park in November, following a five-one defeat. He questioned the desire inside that room following another emphatic loss at Everton. He did the same at Southampton last week, this time in print.

Lascelles, for the record, is 22 and in his first season as a Newcastle player.

When Benitez ripped up the gutless side that had surrendered so weekly at St Mary’s, making five changes, he kept Lascelles in.

It was a wise move. In the 40th minute the former England Under-21 international, signed from Nottingham Forest in 2014 and then loaned back for a season, scored with a near post header.

From somewhere, with Cheick Tiote protecting a previously porous back four, Newcastle secured their first clean sheet since February, and more significantly perhaps, the first since Rafa Benitez took over.

Newcastle wobbled at one-nil, when Ashley Williams and Jefferson Montero went frighteningly close, but held on, recovered in the middle of a game - unheard of recently - and went on to record a three-nil win, with goals from Moussa Sissoko and the excellent Andros Townsend, that contributed to a dramatic six-goal swing in goal difference in the Premier League table.

Following Sunderland’s victory at Norwich, by the same scoreline, a victory of any sorts on Tuesday night against Manchester City would take Newcastle out of the relegation zone. Even that possibility felt miraculous given what has gone on for the club most recently, particularly on their travels.

“The starting point should be your work-rate and your heart and after that it should be your technique and talent - that's the way I work,” said Lascelles.

“It's just so frustrating because we've got such big players on this team talent-wise and if they play like they did today we'd be much higher up the league. Credit to everyone today. It's like a breath of fresh air.

“Before today people were umming and ahing about whether we could do it, but we showed we're no pushovers. Everybody wanted it and in the changing room before the game there was just something there. That is definitely what we've lacked. Tuesday is a massive game, it doesn't matter that it's Man City. We're 11 men, they're 11 men and we'll go again with the same attitude.

"I don't think we have to be realistic (about the next two games against Manchester City and Liverpool). On paper people would put them down to win, but Leicester are top of the league and nobody thought that would happen. They're 11 men and just because they've got a blue shirt on doesn't mean they have to win. If you have a bit of fight and get after them it doesn't matter.

"I'll always say what I'm thinking. If something needs saying then I'll say it. I think it's important at this moment in time for harsh words. If not we're going to be in a worse dogfight. I think what I said brought a big reaction - the way we played today, we haven't had that all season.

"I didn't get many people (team-mates) talking to me about it, but I think a few of them were thinking it but wouldn't say it. Everyone knows what we need, it was just coming out and saying it.

“It is there, that's the most frustrating thing for me. It's there. Tuesday is a massive, massive stage for us, but I'm really pleased it's at home because the crowd were behind us today and we'll take that positive energy and crack on.”

Andros Townsend wheels away after scoring for Newcastle against relegation rivals Swansea (Getty)

Townsend, who now has three goals in 10 games in a struggling side following his move, added: "It's still difficult, but if we defend like we did today and attack like we did today then we'll have every chance.

“If the fans are as good as they were today then we have a chance. We have stayed confident and knew it would click even when we were losing games. We believe we can go on a run and get ourselves out of trouble.

“It was important to go into the Man City game on the back of a win, but it's always going to be difficult playing then. Now we know we can win football matches again and we have to go into the game full of confidence and come out of it with the result we want and claw ourselves even further towards safety.”