Eddie Howe has vowed that Newcastle United players and staff will give their all to try and win every game in the run-in - whether the Magpies are facing bottom of the table Norwich City or title-chasing Man City.
Newcastle are all but safe after hitting the 40-point mark following a 1-0 win against Crystal Palace at St James' Park on Wednesday night. However, while there have been occasions in the last decade where Newcastle's form has tailed off later in the campaign, there is a lot still riding on the coming weeks.
As well as potentially mounting a late push for the top 10 - Newcastle are just a point off ninth-placed Leicester City in the table - these players are still fighting for their futures. Howe is making assessments on his squad every day and you can be sure that will be at the back of his players' minds as they look to prove they can continue to play a part in this new era.
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Newcastle's upcoming opponents - Norwich City, Liverpool, Man City, Arsenal and Burnley - certainly won't be lacking motivation against the black-and-whites as these teams all desperately need points to either stay up, qualify for the Champions League or win the league. Newcastle and Aston Villa are the only sides left who will face both Liverpool and Man City this season, and Howe certainly does not see these games as free hits.
"We will be committed to try and win every fixture," he told reporters when asked about Newcastle potentially having a big say on the title race. "It's our duty. I take that seriously and I know my players will.
"Whoever we are playing home or away, we have to give our all so I can assure everyone of that."
Whether Newcastle are facing Norwich on Saturday or Liverpool next week, there are certain principles Howe demands from his players. In fact, regardless of who Newcastle play, Howe tends to focus more on how the Magpies can hurt their opponent rather than paying the opposition too much respect.
Following the midweek win against Crystal Palace, Matt Targett told ChronicleLive that 'when you're playing the big boys, you've always got to try and make it hard for them' as the left-back stressed his side wanted to 'test ourselves against the very best'. After being hammered by both Liverpool and City back in December, these games will be a chance for Newcastle to show how far they have come under Howe.
So, too, in a way, will be Saturday's trip to Carrow Road after what happened in the reverse fixture at St James'. It seems a lifetime ago now, but Newcastle shot themselves in the foot after just nine minutes after Ciaran Clark was sent off last November.
Although Newcastle responded well to that setback - Callum Wilson eventually broke the deadlock from the spot in the second half - Howe felt it was a 'missed opportunity' after Teemu Pukki equalised late on. Aside from one or two aberrations, Newcastle have made real strides in game management since that 1-1 draw and Howe will keep pushing his players until the season is over on May 22.
"First and foremost, we have standards to maintain," he added. "We've had a way of playing and have delivered consistent performances in the main. We don't want to let those standards drop. We don't want to let that feeling go.
"Every game we have between now and the end of the season is very difficult because we're playing teams that have something to play for but we do, too. We're playing for Newcastle.
"Not for one second will our preparation drop and our expectations of the players won't drop. We've got to make sure the players are ready to give their all."
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