Newcastle still don't have a world team, but they are good enough to finish in the second tier of England. They won't be 3rd this season, but I don't think that's the goal either. They just want to finish with the best 6-7 and then hope that they can bring in some reinforcements again next season.
Newcastle has made an impressive start to the season, currently sitting third in the Premier League table with 30 points, seven points behind title leaders Arsenal. So far, they have only lost one match, against Liverpool in August, and have won eight and drawn six games. They have the potential to remain in the top four of the Premier League this season.
Yes, I agree with you that the chance for Newcastle to maintain their position in order to stay in the top 4 will be very possible. They had an impressive game that made them into the top team by occupying the 3rd position in the standings table. One of the advantages that has made Newcastle now in the top 4 is how their defense works. Yes, that is the main asset for them, which is very difficult to beat, even though they didn't win, they still managed to get 1 point from their 6 matches. They also belong to one of the clubs that has a good defense with only conceding 11 goals so far with Arsenal who also have that statistic.