Clarke backs McAuley for deal

Newcastle defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa insists he is not concerned by relegation as confidence at the club is high. The Magpies are just six points above the drop zone going into the weekend and lowly Wigan have a game in hand on Alan Pardew's side. But the January arrival from Montpellier has no doubt Newcastle will be fine and hailed the togetherness of the group. "The most important thing is to remain aware of the situation in which we find ourselves in," said the 23-year-old France international. "It's also vital we remain really together. Whenever we go out onto the pitch, we have to know we're involved in a battle and make sure we give our all for 90, even 95 minutes, every match. "I'm not worried. We have got some fantastic players and haven't lost our confidence. "Even if we are up against one of the top five teams in the league, we'd still be confident of getting a result." McAuley has been one of the stars of Albion's impressive campaign, forging a strong partnership with Jonas Olsson at the heart of the defence. But the 33-year-old Northern Ireland international is struggling to agree a new deal at The Hawthorns and Clarke is hopeful that the stalemate soon comes to an end. "I want him to get the deal he deserves," said Clarke, quoted in The Sun. "But it's not my department, I leave that to other people. "I'd like to think that Gareth McAuley will be with Albion next season." McAuley's current deal runs out in June 2014.