By ESPNsoccernet staff
Alan Pardew has urged his players to make the most of their European chances after revealing Newcastle are a year ahead of schedule.
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The Magpies are fifth in the Premier League, level on points with Chelsea, and just five behind Champions League-chasing Arsenal and Tottenham.
Victory over Liverpool gave Pardew's side a ten-point gap over Everton in seventh and with seven games remaining in the season, the Englishman says his players must grasp the opportunity of a return to the continent, starting with Friday's trip to Swansea.
"We're a year ahead of schedule,'' Pardew said. "I didn't expect us to be as close as we are to those European spots but we're going to take the chance in front of us if we can.
"That's football - it doesn't often put an opportunity in front of you and you've got to grasp it. I keep saying to the players that you've got an opportunity so grasp it with both hands and that's what we're going to do hopefully in the remaining games.
"We are ahead of schedule only because of the players and the appli cation they've had. They're absolutely brilliant. They're a fantastic set of players and there's a fantastic camaraderie between them.
"We've given them a tactical base but we're not based around one system we've got two or three systems that we can turn to and the players bind to anything that we put in front of them which is fantastic. It doesn't happen often at a football club so I'm very privileged to be working for these players.''
While plenty of Premier League managers are lukewarm towards the Europa League, and the additional games and journeys it adds to an already packed domestic calendar, Pardew is relishing the possibility.
"The format (of the Europa League) actually works against Premier League teams because of the nature of our division,'' Pardew said. "The intensity you have to have to play in a Premier League game, in some of the other leagues, the Europa League isn't so much of an issue as every game isn't as fully committed as ours.
"It's harder for the Premier League teams but that's not to say we wouldn't accept that challenge. We really hope for our fans more than anything that we get European football for them.''
Pardew is looking for his side to extend their three-game winning run when they travel to the Liberty Stadium later this week. Newcastle have notched up wins over Norwich, West Brom and Liverpool in their last three league games, and the Magpies boss believes his side are still getting better.
"We've had our fair share (of plaudits),'' he said. "We're having a season that's outstanding and we're going to continue that if we can. I said all along that if we can get to this last period of games in the frame for Europe then we'll give it a go and that's what we're going to do.
"We've proven ourselves in our last three wins as we've won them all in different ways. In the first game we took the lead and really sat at home and dogged it out a bit. In the second game we opened up our wings and attacked West Brom on the break and could have scored four or five maybe, and against Liverpool we played a more complete game where we were a bit of each so we've shown those attributes.
"We're looking forward to Friday. Swansea play an open game, they look to stretch the pitch but they give you chances as well and we've got to try and take those.''
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