Newcastle United’s players and supporters support Eddie Howe, as the Magpies start to eagerly look at the Premier League table with happiness.
“They are really good characters, people, they want to do well, they want to please, and they want to represent the club in the right way. I’ve always sensed that running through them. They will be wounded at the moment.”
Eddie Howe launched a resolute defence of his first-team players, many of whom have come under intense scrutiny during a soul-crushing season, as he sat in the depths of the Emirates Stadium in late February, having just witnessed a lacklustre and uninspiring 4-1 defeat against title-chasing Arsenal.
Since that disheartening evening in North London, Newcastle has won seven straight games, including away victories over Chelsea and Manchester City in the cup competitions. They are also undefeated in the Premier League, giving them a genuine chance to make it into the Europa League by mid-May.
After their tough, nasty, and hard-fought victory over Fulham on Saturday, the Magpies are now only one point behind West Ham and Manchester United, who are now in sixth and seventh positions in the top flight and still have games in hand over Howe’s team. It’s amazing Newcastle has a chance to end the season well considering the unimaginable injury problems, bad luck that has befallen them all, and overall depressing tenor of the campaign.
It might have happened so easily, this frayed group. After a brief excursion to Australia for two friendly, Newcastle’s season came to an anti-climatic end as they hobbled over the finish line in search of a summer beach to lounge on. At times during the Fulham win, Howe’s side did, in fact, look as though they were already thinking of those sandy shores abroad.
However, as the Newcastle manager stated following the Arsenal defeat, this is a squad of outstanding individuals. That has been forgotten at times this semester. Naturally, given how dramatically standards have dropped after last year’s overachievement.
When Howe faced calls to resign from small segments of this fervent fanbase in recent months, this team could have thrown in the towel and contributed to the former Bournemouth manager’s early departure.
Instead, we are witnessing a rebirth reminiscent of Newcastle United from last season. Sean Longstaff is running on empty but not stopping. Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak, and Anthony Gordon dominated games and dragged Newcastle to victory. Dan Burn is succeeding at the heart of the defence, returning alongside the massive Fabian Schar after months of criticism. Emil Krafth, Lewis Hall, Elliot Anderson, Harvey Barnes, and more players who had to sit quietly and wait are now contributing significantly.
As the packed Craven Cottage away end serenaded the players at full-time, Howe went around his squad and praised them. There was a hug with Martin Dubravka and Schar, a joke or two with Matt Ritchie, and much of affection for Guimaraes, the match winner.
The last seven days may be remembered as the week that altered the course of the year as a whole. The determination demonstrated in victories over West Ham United and Fulham speaks loudly.
The message is clear: this group of players has never given up on Howe or the campaign as a whole, and we have no reason to believe that will change in the coming weeks. The pressure on the manager’s future has pleasantly subsided, and those dissident voices on social media have rightfully quietened following seven points out of a possible nine this week.
All eyes are now on a spectacular finish before Howe and his exhausted warriors get some much-needed rest.
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