Newcastle United outcast reveals disappointment ahead of expected summer move

Newcastle United outcast Ryan Fraser has bemoaned a run of three defeats that have cost Southampton on opportunity to make an immediate return to the Premier League.

The Scotland winger joined the Saints on a season-long loan deal after he was left out of the Magpies’ Premier League squad and he has played a key role in their attempts to claim promotion from the Championship just 12 months after they slipped out of the top flight.  Russell Martin’s side look well placed to challenge the likes of Leicester City and Leeds United for one of the two automatic promotion places earlier this month - but will now focus on a play-off challenge after emerging empty handed from visits to Cardiff City and Leicester, as well as Saturday’s home meeting with Stoke City.

With this weekend’s visit to Leeds bringing down the curtain on the fixtures for the regular season, Southampton now know they will end the campaign in fourth place in the second tier.  However, they are still unsure of which side they will face in the play-off semi-finals as Norwich, West Brom and Hull City all remain in contention for fifth place. With next month’s play-offs now on the horizon, Fraser, who is expected to make a permanent departure from Newcastle this summer if Southampton do return to the Premier League, has issued something of a rallying call to the Saints squad,

He told The Daily Echo: ”We can't be known as a team that is going to falter at the wrong time.  We’re going to come together, look at ourselves as a team and give everything for this club.  You could look at the playoffs as a new three-game tournament. None of the season matters anymore.  We can start taking confidence from this massive week of training. We haven't had much training recently because it's all been about recovery.  We've got big characters in the dressing room and that's what it's going to take. Some of the boys are going to need arms around the shoulders. There will be times when it's not going to be great but we just need to stick together."

Should the Saints fail to secure promotion, Fraser will return to Tyneside and will enter the final year of his current deal with the Magpies.