NEWCASTLE: Eddie Howe is refusing to be drawn on any talk of a Newcastle United return to Europe’s top table next season. A win at Nottingham Forest this evening would see the Magpies climb to within one point of Tottenham Hotspur, who occupy the last of the Premier League’s Champions League spots — a competition the Geordies have not graced for almost two decades.
A decade outside of Europe altogether has fans’ appetite whetted, but while supporters get carried away with talk of continental adventure, head coach Howe remains grounded, knowing nothing short of Newcastle’s best in the final 13 games will guarantee nothing other than another season in the wilderness, even if Europe feels within touching distance. “I’m going to duck the question,” said Howe when asked about whether Champions League football is possible for the Magpies. “Of course it’s about what we do and people are obsessed with Europe, but for me it’s about being the best we can be every week and ultimately we will achieve what we deserve to achieve.
It’s about the small steps not the end goal. That will take care of itself.” Pushed further, Howe was asked when he’d start thinking about European football.
He said: “At the end of the season.” One thing that has become apparent in the second half of the campaign for Howe’s men is a lack of squad depth.