Nick Pope insists that Newcastle United players are not getting ahead of themselves - even if they are in Champions League contention and breaking records on a regular basis.
Pope was the hero at Selhurst Park as he made a stunning late save to deny Jean-Philippe Mateta the winner that even had the former Bundesliga star applauding. But despite cementing their top four place with a hard earned point, Pope did not want to get carried away with life.
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Pope, speaking to reporters in the mixed zone after the game, said: "When you look at the first half of the season, we are proud and pleased in terms of how it has gone.
"We have given ourselves a foundation but that is all it is. "A foundation to push on and achieve something really great. I am proud and pleased with the first 20-odd games in the League and Cup but there are still steps to take."
Even after picking up a point at the tricky Croydon venue - where fans hurled abuse at players and staff on Saturday night - Pope looked for areas to improve in the immediate aftermath. After keeping a clean sheet and extending the club's unbeaten record to a new 15-game sequence for the first time in top-flight history, Pope warned: "I think our mentality going into each game is to win. "We are disappointed not to come away with the result but our standards and characteristics take us through.
"We are not a complete team yet. "We are building to be the best team we can and to keep putting results together on the road. In a way, we are a new team and a team with more ambition than previous years so it is about learning and growing each week - and also enjoying the challenge."
And reflecting on the record, which saw Alan Pardew lose his 2011 accolade, Pope said: "It is great. "The lads are fantastic and it is a great dressing room.
"We have created a good environment. It is a massive credit to the manager, staff and players within it."
Pope is absolutely romping it in the clean sheet stakes with a dozen shutouts to his name. With the goalscorers getting plenty of credit earlier in the season, Pope quipped: "We don’t get to score many so we have to get something! "I am pleased with the amount we have amassed but we always want more."
Pope also paid tribute to his fellow goalkeepers Martin Dubravka, Karl Darlow and Mark Gillespie as well as coaches Adam Bartlett and Shwan Jalal.
He said: "We have a great goalie group. We have Adam Bartlett and Shwan Jalal, and since they have been at the club, they have led us every day and put in top work."
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