Steve Bruce plays down Newcastle United's achievements so far and looks at the bigger picture

The Toon head coach does not feel that it is the time to get carried away - despite being in the Premier League best form since 2014

Steve Bruce believes his side have given themselves no more than a "platform" to push on in the second half of the season.

The head coach - whose arrival as boss was met coldly by the majority of punters - has now lost just once at St James' Park with his side in the best form in the Premier League since 2014.

Bruce is just one point behind Alan Pardew's team in the 2014/15 season.

Reflecting on the sturdy start to life as boss, Bruce said: "I think we've only lost our first game here.

"It's always important that your home form stacks up.

"We've given ourselves a nice little platform, but that's all it is.

"We've still got some big games, we're not halfway there yet.

"But as I've said, December can be a defining month and we've had a decent start."

Bruce couldn't help but laugh when a reporter asked him after the game: Would you have taken 22 points at this stage?

To which he replied: "What do you think?!"

Refreshingly, Bruce was not fully satisfied with the performance levels of the Magpies.

He said: "We were nowhere near the levels which are needed.

"They hung on with their spirit.

"We looked jaded, we looked tired, we looked like a team that didn't really have any energy, and it wasn't until we made a couple of tactical changes and fresh faces that things changed."

Bruce has spoken on numerous occasions about squad rotation in December.

And after losing Allan Saint-Maximin and Ciaran Clark to muscle injuries, he said: "Well the first half, it was fair to say from both teams it was non-eventful, wasn't it?

"I toyed with changing us. It's the first time we've had three games in nine days and the extra day recovery that Southampton had is huge.

"Because I didn't, we've probably picked up two muscle injuries which bear fruit of people not recovered.

"When people do it at half-time and full-time like they are, basically they are fatigued.

"We got in at half-time and the substitutions, particularly Andy, the tweak in formation gave everybody a bit of life and again, the spirit is there for everybody to see.

"That's three times we've been behind at home and to come back to win again was great to see."