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Tiote admits Newcastle relegation fears

Cheick Tiote said Newcastle are still not safe from relegation © PA Photos

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Newcastle midfielder Cheick Tiote believes the club are not yet safe from the threat of relegation and need 'four or five' more wins to ensure Premier League survival.

Newcastle sit perilously close to the drop-zone in 13th position in the table, six points separating them from the highest placed incumbent, Wigan.

And with the Tyneside club's current form - two wins and three defeats from the past five games - not exactly a cause for celebration, Tiote has warned his team-mates that there is a still a high chance of being sucked into the relegation mire.

"I think we have more work to do," Tiote told the Newcastle Chronicle. "You never know what can happen. The Premier League is so, so different to any other league in the world.

"Any team can win four or five games and get out of it, so that's what we will aim to do and then we will be safe."

If Newcastle are to survive for another season in the Premier League, then it will need all of the squad fit and suspension free.

But the 26-year-old Tiote has been a constant visitor to the referee's notebook, with the Ivorian picking up five red cards and 58 yellow cards in his professional career.

However, Tiote has refused to change his combative nature, believing it is what has made him a success at St James' Park,

"That's me," Tiote said. "If I change, I am not going to be the same player. I just need to keep doing my job. That is the best thing for me.

"I always enjoy playing for Newcastle. Since my first year it has been a great place for me to play and I want it to continue that way for a long time."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.