Eddie Howe names game that gave hope of Newcastle resurgence as new message given to players

Eddie Howe has urged his players to show the same levels of consistency in their final five matches in terms of performance.

The Newcastle United head coach has guided the Magpies to 40 points with more than a month of the season remaining and there have even been calls from some pundits for Howe to be named manager of the season given the situation he inherited on Tyneside.

Back then he was warned that no side had ever recovered from a worse start than Newcastle but month by month he has got his message across to his squad. Now he wants to see those levels maintained.

Howe said: "We have a way of playing that has delivered consistent performances. "We don't want to let those standards drop and let that feeling go.

"Not for one second will our preparation drop and our expectations of the players won't drop."

It was actually against Norwich at home that Newcastle's plight looked unsavable in the eyes of some observers. A 1-1 draw left the black and whites slumped at the bottom of the table.

Howe said: "At the time it felt like a missed opportunity for us to get our first win. I was disappointed we couldn't hold the lead because the players gave everything. Maybe it was the first sign of things to come in terms of effort and commitment."