The last time the Magpies suffered relegation to the Championship it arguably helped the club in the long-run.
Chris Hughton was in charge, a number of younger players could be moulded into the first-team set-up and they took the Championship by storm, immediately bouncing back with a whopping 102 points.
But this time around the current Newcastle squad doesn’t appear to be as united, while a number of player lack the fight and aggression which will be required in the Championship.
Speaking on BBC Radio Five Live, Savage worries over Newcastle’s prospects in the second tier and asks the question whether either the Tyneside club or Aston Villa will have the mettle to bounce back.
"Remember when Newcastle went down last time? They had some really good professionals suited for the Championship. But look at these Villa and Toon squads now. Are these players going to get their team straight back up?"
There are now six points separating the Canaries and the Magpies, and with only a handful of game remaining it appears Newcastle will need to somehow find at least three wins between now and May.
Upcoming games against Crystal Palace and Swansea City at St. James’ Park will be key for Rafa Benitez’s side, as a failure to win both of those will all-but end their hopes of staying up.
With plenty of internationals in the squad, you would expect a summer exodus if the club suffer relegation and on reflection there probably aren’t many players the Newcastle fans will be disappointed to see leave.