Let’s keep it to ourselves – Eddie Howe asks Newcastle to set targets internally
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has no problem with his players dreaming of European qualification (Owen Humphreys/PA)
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has no problem with his players targeting European football next season – even if he would prefer they kept it to themselves.
The Magpies travel to Burnley on Sunday with their Premier League status, which was in genuine jeopardy when Howe arrived as head coach in November last year, already secured in impressive style with Monday night’s 2-0 win over Arsenal simply serving to increase expectation for what may lie ahead.
Brazilian midfielder Joelinton has already suggested Europa League qualification should be an aim for the next campaign and while his manager would prefer those aims and objectives to remain in-house, he does not disagree.
Howe said: “He’s a good guy, Joe, and he’s very positive and optimistic, and I think we should be. I’ve got no issue with that and I want to harness that.
“I want my squad to be confident, ambitious. They have to believe in big things and we have to set targets internally.
“I’d rather it stay internal than external because we have to also manage the expectation around the team. We don’t want them to play under an unnecessary burden and an unnecessary pressure that actually hampers our performance.
“Creating that mix is important, but I’d much prefer to keep things in-house.”
The buzz surrounding Howe’s side stems not only from the prospect of further investment from Saudi-backed owners who spent more than £90million in January, but the manner in which the team has gelled to win 11 of its last 17 league games and put themselves in a position where they could yet finish in the top half of the table.
The 44-year-old said: “It’s an opportunity to finish in the top 10 and it should not be underestimated. We’ll give our all to try to achieve it.”
To stand any chance of doing that, Newcastle have to win at Burnley, where Howe served as manager between his two spells at Bournemouth and emerged from a challenging period stronger for it.
He said: “It was a massive learning curve for me. It was a wonderful opportunity. I respect everyone at Burnley, the owners, the people who gave me the chance to work there, and I really, really enjoyed it, albeit the team was in transition.
“We had a lot of changes to make, not just on the pitch, but off the pitch as well, so when I went back to Bournemouth, I was a much better manager for that experience.
“I learned a lot and was very grateful for the opportunity.”
Today's Headlines
Con-Airport | Hilarious Tiktok video depicting cartoon Conor McGregor ‘sorting out’ airport queues goes viral
Bar assault | Mum who glassed woman in the face over claims she had affair with her husband avoids jail
cartel plot | Kinahan cartel hitman Imre Arakas suspected of the murder of UK mobster John ‘Goldfinger’ Palmer
'Switching Teams' | Amber Gill says men make her 'feel ill' after last night's Love Island
'left to die' | Three month jail sentence for woman who put her baby in a bin after giving birth
Flight Risk | Vogue Williams admits flying with 3 kids left her ‘shook’
Losing Hope | Irish Love Island star Dami Hope branded a ‘villain’ as Casa Amor kiss shocks viewers
joint action | Gardaí arrest woman at Dublin Airport over human trafficking concerns
battle of the boyne | Two-county car chase ends after young fugitives tried to swim across river Boyne
Court challenge | Gerry Hutch and Jonathan Dowdall claim non-jury trials over Regency murder are ‘unlawful’