DEMBA BA insists Newcastle’s season is not in danger of unravelling after they suffered their third defeat in four games with a 4-2 loss at Norwich.

An 11-match unbeaten run at the start of the season had put Newcastle on course for a top-four challenge which many thought unlikely after a quiet summer in the transfer market.

However, the Magpies have now taken just one point from their last four games to drop to seventh in the table and the defeat at newly-promoted Norwich was an unwelcome reminder that they still have a lot to do to prove capable of challenging for European qualification.

Without captain Steven Taylor, who has been ruled out for the season with an Achilles injury, Newcastle looked vulnerable at the back at Carrow Road and there are also doubts about the club’s strength in depth in other areas.

But Ba, who took his tally for the season to 11 with a brace yesterday, insists Alan Pardew’s side will not plummet down the table.

“We’re not going to let that happen,” the striker said. “I’m pretty sure next week we’re going to win.

“We’ll do everything to win the game because we need a win. We have the squad here to cope.

“We have (Mike) Williamson, who’s on his way back from injury, (Fabricio) Coloccini is hopefully going to be fit for next week as well and (Cheik) Tiote too, so if we have our full squad I think we’ll be okay.”

James Perch and Danny Simpson struggled to handle the physical presence of Grant Holt and Steve Morison, with slack marking contributing to all four of the home side’s goals.

And Ba admits the Magpies missed their first-choice centre-half pairing.

“It was difficult for Danny Simpson to compete against Holt or against Morison,” Ba said.

“If we had our centre-backs, who are big, muscular and can head the ball, it would have been different.

“We were playing with a brand new defence and it was very difficult.”