Eddie Howe's Champions League message - and thoughts on Newcastle development
HOW good is the current Newcastle United team? Time will tell, but after yesterday’s 3-0 win over Aston Villa lifted the Magpies back into the top five, Eddie Howe is hoping his current line-up is better than the team that finished fourth two seasons ago.
The Magpies continued their rich vein of form on Boxing Day when they made it four wins in a row in all competitions by brushing aside ten-man Villa at St James’ Park thanks to goals from Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Joelinton.
The victory lifted Newcastle to within six points of second-placed Chelsea, with their fine form in December having erased memories of a testing start to the season and suggested there could be even more to come.
Asked if this was a different Newcastle to the one which brought the club a first taste of Champions League football in 20 years two seasons ago, Howe said: “I’d hope we’ve moved on from that team.
“You can never go back in time and replicate what that team was. That team was an outstanding side. I had the honour and privilege of managing that side and the qualities that we needed at that time.
“But you can never go back. It’s all about the future. We’ve signed some new players, the dynamic is slightly different and for me, the evolution of the team always had to be that we wanted to be better with the ball, we wanted to control the game more with the ball.
“Now, that’s easier with 11 players against ten (against Aston Villa), but I hope that that’s the direction we’re going in without losing our main qualities of the intensity that we play out of possession and the principles that we stick to in possession. We are always looking to try to score and create.”
READ MORE:
Newcastle selection boost ahead of Man Utd game - with Eddie Howe's view
Eddie Howe lifts the lid on the '20-man melee' at half-time break of Boxing Day win over Villa
Ahead after just two minutes on Boxing Day courtesy of Gordon’s sweet strike, Newcastle were boosted further when Villa striker Jhon Duran was sent off for a stamp on Fabian Schar, and second-half goals from Isak – his tenth in as many league games – and Joelinton secured the points.
The Magpies slipped to 12th place after a 4-2 defeat at Brentford on December 7, but have dragged themselves right back into the mix for European qualification since.
Asked if they could now set their sights on the Champions League once again, Howe said: “We’re shooting for whatever we can shoot for. We’ll take small steps, we’ll go game-by-game, but I’m really heartened by how the team is playing.
“I think we’re winning strongly at the moment, we’re not winning by luck. I think there’s been a definite upturn in our general performance. We look good defensively and we look good in attack – but of course we need to keep our standards very high.”
Howe was always confident results and performances would turn when his side was struggling in the early part of the season, although he concedes there were moments when Newcastle’s struggles left him scratching his head.
He was adamant he was not going to panic though, and claims the speed of Newcastle’s turnaround provides a lesson for any future moments of difficulty. Stick to what you believe in, and continue doing the basics right, and things will improve.
“It’s a note to myself continually all the time about how football can change in any respect,” said Howe. “Whether you're in a good moment or a bad moment, it can change so quickly and you have to always remember that in the dark moments and difficult times.
“The way we all felt after Brentford was very, very low and now you sit here and it's totally different, the landscape has changed. Our preparation hasn’t, our way of working hasn’t, the team has just built some confidence, and the lads are playing very well for us.”
