Newcastle have that bit of magic — but they are in the hunt for the fourth spot because of their heartbeat.
All the talk has been about Papiss Cisse, Demba Ba and Yohan Cabaye. But above that they have got the best bunch of squad players in the league: such as Danny Simpson, Mike Williamson, James Perch, Danny Guthrie, Ryan Taylor and Shola Ameobi.
They don’t grab all the headlines and they often get overlooked, but they’re better than any other second-string in the league.
On the road to Europe: Alan Pardew will lead Newcastle into either the Champions League or Europa League next seasonAt some clubs fringe players don’t always accept they’re not going to start every week but at Newcastle fringe players are happy to be part of the squad and try to make a difference when they get their chance.
They might play out of position, but they don’t moan in the press, they don’t stroll around the pitch when they come on as a substitute. They’re realistic about their own ability.
They play with great spirit and energy, happy to do it for the team. At other clubs their fringe players could do with adopting a similar attitude. It’s been the team’s greatest strength.
That’s why Newcastle are where they are. Those players are so significant to the team. And Alan Pardew deserves credit for managing those players better than any other boss in the league.
He’s taken what looked like an average bunch of players at the start of the season and transformed them into an excellent team.
The question is: what happens now? If Pardew can keep those squad players and find a few more Cisses, a few more gems, they can stay in the top six for the next few years.
Regardless of where they finish in the league it’s been such a fantastic season. They can’t afford to take a step backwards.
This is the best chance they’ve had in years to become regulars in Europe again.
Wigan’s switch to a 3-4-3 formation has been brave and it reminds me of when I played at Aston Villa in the 1990s.
It doesn’t happen much anymore, but when I was at Villa we played three at the back to great effect.
We won trophies and were competing in Europe every season.
Earlier in the season Wigan were a shambles. Every manager in the land would have used them as an example of how not to defend.
But manager Roberto Martinez has switched to playing three centre backs with two central midfielders — James McCarthy and James McArthur — sitting in front of them.
Key man: James McCarthyThey don’t play wing backs so it keeps them solid while they go all-out in attack. It could have left them exposed on the flanks but it’s worked.
Martinez’s tactics were really vindicated when they thumped Newcastle — the only time Alan Pardew’s side had dropped points in nine games.
To be 4-0 up by half-time against a team in that kind of form was something else.
Wigan could not continue playing as they were and survive. Martinez has been brave — and hats off to him.
Blackburn v Wigan
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