Eddie Howe admits Newcastle United are running out of chances to secure European football for next season ahead of Saturday’s crucial meeting with fellow hopefuls Wolves.
Hampered by a lengthy injury list, Newcastle have failed to kick on after qualifying for the Champions League last season and currently sit 10th in the Premier League table.
The Magpies are two points adrift of Brighton and Hove Albion in seventh, with West Ham and Wolves – who visit St James’ Park on Saturday – also ahead of them in the fight for Europe.
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Newcastle have only won two of their last nine Premier League games, drawing two and losing five, and Howe knows they need to turn the corner quickly.
“We know we’re running out of chances,” he said at Friday’s pre-match press conference. “We need to start on Saturday. We can’t afford to drop too many points home or away now.”
Asked whether he sensed a lack of confidence in the camp, Howe said: “I do. Last season was a totally different season.
“We were rolling into games with such a good feeling and we built that momentum within our season. It’s been so fragmented this season, it’s been stop-start.
“The spirit is the same, we have some very good players and very good characters. The only way you build confidence is to win games consistently and we aren’t in that moment now. But you can create that yourself.”
The hard work never stops. ???? pic.twitter.com/Rm4EY7MYY0
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) February 29, 2024
Newcastle could yet qualify for Europe by winning the FA Cup, having reached the quarter-finals of that competition by overcoming Blackburn Rovers on penalties on Tuesday.
However, the Magpies have been handed the toughest draw possible in the last eight, facing treble winners Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
Newcastle dumped City out of the EFL Cup in September, but Howe acknowledged the draw was not ideal for his team.
“I was driving at the time and I almost swerved across the road,” Howe said of his reaction to the draw. “It wasn’t the tie we wanted. Nobody wants to play Man City four times in a season.
“But when you analyse it, you realise that to win the FA Cup, you will probably have to beat City at some stage, we are just going to have to do that sooner that we would have hoped.”
Newcastle’s selection issues have eased somewhat ahead of Saturday’s game, with Elliot Anderson available and Sven Botman in contention after being rested in midweek.
Callum Wilson, Joelinton, Nick Pope, Matt Targett and Sandro Tonali all remain unavailable, but with Alexander Isak and Joe Willock returning from injury in recent weeks, Howe’s men are now in a better place.
“At one point we only had 14 or 15 players in the training group, now we have just over 20, so the whole group has been lifted by that,” Howe said.
“The challenge now is to get them all back to fitness as quickly as possible.”
Eddie Howe on Wolves:
“They will bring a counter attacking threat, they play a fluid style, Gary has done a brilliant job. They are very good away from home, dangerous opponents for us but we are confident going into the game.” pic.twitter.com/jXllFxPKd2
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) March 1, 2024
