Eddie Howe: Newcastle aims for European football as 'minimum' requirement

Posted : 02 November 2024

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe recently shared his ambitions with TNT Sports, emphasizing his strong desire to bring success to the club. He believes that qualifying for European competitions is the minimum expectation for his role at Newcastle. Howe has already led the team to a top-four finish in his second season and narrowly missed out on a UEFA Europa Conference League spot last year, as Newcastle placed seventh. His focus on success and his drive to maintain Newcastle’s place among the top English clubs remain undiminished.

In his third season, Howe reflected on Newcastle’s surprising qualification for the UEFA Champions League during his first full season in charge, where they accumulated 71 points. This achievement left them four points above Liverpool and close behind Manchester United. Howe attributed this success to key transfers, including Alexander Isak, Nick Pope, Anthony Gordon, and Sven Botman, who helped elevate the team’s performance and secure their unexpected top-four finish.

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Howe admitted that reaching the Champions League at this stage was "ahead of schedule" and credited the team’s summer signings for the momentum they gained. He noted how confidence grew among the squad and how their progress was something few anticipated at the beginning of the season. Their Champions League journey saw them drawn into a challenging group with teams like Paris Saint-Germain, AC Milan, and Borussia Dortmund, adding a thrilling dimension to their European comeback.

The Magpies showed resilience in their Champions League campaign, opening with a 0-0 draw against AC Milan and then impressively defeating PSG 4-1 at home, a performance Howe described as a "historic game" for the club. Reflecting on that match, Howe expressed how the experience of competing at the highest level was exhilarating and created a hunger for more. This taste of success, he said, fuels their motivation to return to such stages in future seasons.

Despite their strong start, Newcastle encountered challenges as the group stage progressed. They narrowly lost to Borussia Dortmund twice and faced disappointment in a 1-1 draw against PSG, where a late penalty denied them a win. A final 2-1 loss to Milan at home sealed their elimination, cutting their Champions League journey short. Howe described the frustration of such results, especially in tightly contested matches, but he believes these experiences set a benchmark for the team’s aspirations.

Newcastle’s previous season ended with a missed opportunity for European qualification due to the FA Cup’s impact on the league standings. Howe found this especially frustrating, as the club’s position was affected by factors outside their control. Nonetheless, he sees the quest for European football as part of Newcastle's core ambitions and is determined to pursue it actively each season.

Howe concluded by expressing the weight of responsibility he feels as Newcastle’s manager, understanding the importance of his role for both the city and its supporters. He acknowledged his commitment to bringing success and is keen to push Newcastle forward, driven by a clear vision to establish the club as a regular competitor in European football. This determination, Howe emphasized, remains a guiding force in his approach to leadership at Newcastle.

Eddie Howe: Newcastle aims for European football as 'minimum' requirement

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