Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has said that Newcastle United should aim to reach a position similar to Arsenal over the next decade.

The Magpies moved to 13th in the Premier League, six points above the relegation zone, after earning a fantastic 3-2 win against Everton on Saturday.

Despite going 2-0 down at the break, Rafael Benitez’s side showed great fighting spirit to seal all three points.

Lately, Newcastle have been brilliant at St James’ Park where they managed five wins in a row.

Speaking on Soccer Saturday (Sky Sports News, March 9th, 12pm), Merson said: “You want to aim for the stars don’t you

“In the long term, if you support Newcastle and you travel like you do home and away, everywhere they go, filling everywhere they go to, whether it’s a Monday night or a Wednesday night or the trains are on strike or whatever, if it was me, I’d be aiming for Arsenal and teams like that.

“I’m not saying this year or next year, but if I’m supporting this team for the next ten years, that’s where I’d be aiming.”

To be fair, Merson’s comments are not completely off the mark. There is absolutely no reason why the Magpies can’t become one of the biggest clubs in England.

In Benitez, they have a top level manager, and all they need is to support him with funds to bring the right profile of players. Of course, the biggest concern is Mike Ashley, and unless he sells up, or decides to invest heavily on the squad, there will hardly be any progress.