Eddie Howe backs Newcastle to handle pressure as Champions League quest heats up

NEWCASTLE: Having been the Premier League’s plucky underdogs for much of the top flight campaign this season, it finally feels like Newcastle really have something to lose.

Victory over fifth-place Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday would see fourth-place United leap six points clear of their closest rivals for a Champions League spot, as the battle for a top-four finish heats up. A win for Spurs at St. James’ Park, on the other hand, would put them right back in the mix, trailing Newcastle only on goal difference, though they have played a game more.

It does feel like a win over the managerless London outfit would give the Magpies one foot in the Champions League, with just seven games left to play this season.

It shows how much things have changed on Tyneside, not least the pressure on the players. Gone are the days of low expectations; it now feels, with their destiny in their own hands, European football is there for the taking — or to throw away.

“It’s a huge game for us,” said head coach Eddie Howe. “There’s no denying that at this stage of the season, with the games running out. We’re playing one of our competitors in the league so it’s a big moment in our season. We’re pleased to be at home and hopefully we can feel the force of the crowd.

“This week we certainly need everyone united in the game, which I’m sure we will be, and hopefully we can respond to last week’s disappointment (a 3-0 defeat by sixth-place Aston Villa).

“Of course, this season we’ve had a cup final, which was a huge game for us, but in terms of league games, yeah, this will be right up there because, as I said, we are running out of games and we don’t have long left to get the points we need.”

Howe backed his players to prove they can handle