Eddie Howe led Newcastle to League Cup glory in opposition to Liverpool (Glyn KIRK)
Newcastle supervisor Eddie Howe is focusing on a “game-changing” return to the Champions League after the membership ended their painful 56-year trophy drought.
Round 300,000 followers turned out in Newcastle on the weekend to rejoice final month’s victory within the League Cup last in opposition to Liverpool.
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However the focus has already turned to Wednesday’s Premier League conflict with Brentford at St James’ Park and the race for the highest 4.
Sixth-placed Newcastle, who performed within the Champions League final season for the primary time in 20 years, are in a scrap with an enormous group of golf equipment.
Bournemouth, in tenth place, are simply three factors behind the Magpies, who’ve a recreation in hand over their rivals.
A robust season by English sides in European competitions means it’s virtually sure {that a} top-five end will safe a spot in subsequent season’s Champions League.
“It might be game-changing when it comes to income and in addition when it comes to what it means and the competitors, after which after all the adjustments that you must make to be prepared for Champions League soccer,” Howe stated on Tuesday.
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“That adjustments every thing — as we discovered final 12 months to our value to some extent with the additional video games — so there’s rather a lot to consider.”
However the Englishman stated the run-in can be robust.
“It is one of many tightest Premier Leagues that we have seen in latest instances, little or no between the groups competing for these locations, so it is going to come all the way down to who’s probably the most constant,” he stated.
Newcastle beat runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool 2-1 within the League Cup last at Wembley however Howe stated consistency was an issue, with three defeats of their previous 5 residence video games in all competitions.
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“That’s the huge query: Can we be that workforce that we had been in opposition to Liverpool? You’ll be able to’t be there each recreation, however you possibly can nonetheless attain a normal and win the sport. That’s what we now have bought to attempt to do,” he stated.
“Now we have carried out it — we performed West Ham earlier than the ultimate, did not play nice, however received the sport via defensive metal, actually.
“Now we have to search out methods to win video games when we aren’t at our greatest.”
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