Alan Pardew's side suffered a 4-0 defeat to Manchester City on Saturday, leaving them just three points clear of the relegation zone.

But centre-back Taylor is not worried about the potential to repeat their demotion from the top flight in 2008/09.

"I am confident in my team-mates," Taylor told reporters.

"I look around the dressing room at the players who I train with every day and what I am sat around is top class.

"This definitely makes me believes we are going to do well.

"We are not looking down - we are looking up. We are looking at who we can catch and chase."

Taylor feels the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League will provide a welcome distraction from domestic duties, with Newcastle set to face Benfica on Thursday.

He said: "If you look at the games we have coming up, Benfica twice, Fulham and then Sunderland, we are excited.

"In the next few weeks I am looking to see this all wrapped up in the Premier League and hopefully we can look forward to the Europa League."