SAFE AND SOUND

Finally, we can all exhale.

Yes, Newcastle United was almost assuredly safe from relegation before Saturday's 2-1 home win over Birmingham. But a last-minute drop to the Championship was still mathematically possible.

Not any more. Regardless of what happens in the season's final two weeks, Newcastle won't wind up sliding perilously down the Premier League table. That in and of itself is an achievement, considering everything that's been thrown at this (undermanned) team over the past 10 months.

The fact that United has a legitimate chance at a top-10 finish after Saturday's win means the entire squad and coaching staff — let's not forget Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood, either — deserve recognition. There might not be any dominant teams in the Premier League this season, but there aren't any horrendous sides at the bottom, either. Newcastle has had to scratch and claw its way to 44 points.

In many ways, Saturday's slightly bizarre match summed up United's season. There was plenty of endeavor without a real cutting edge in attack. And just when you thought Newcastle was set to open the game up, a slip-up kept things tight until the final whistle.

Next up is a summer that should go a long way toward shaping the immediate future of the club as a whole. But that can wait for at least a few weeks.

For now, we can all stop holding our breath. Job well done, boys.