Eddie Howe praises Newcastle United’s focus after cup high
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Newcastle United's Jacob Murphy scores their second goal past Leicester City's Mads Hermansen.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON – The joy of Newcastle United’s first domestic cup trophy for 70 years – and the unbridled euphoria of an open-top bus parade through the streets of the city – could have distracted Eddie Howe’s team from their pursuit of Champions League qualification.
But successive English Premier League wins since that League Cup final victory over Liverpool on March 16, the latest a 3-0 cruise at Leicester City, means they remain bang on course for a return to Europe’s top competition.
Two early goals by Jacob Murphy and another for Harvey Barnes before half-time on April 7 made it a comfortable night for the Magpies, who moved above Manchester City into fifth place.
They are level on 53 points with fourth-placed Chelsea and have a game in hand.
Fifth place will almost certainly be enough to secure a place in the Champions League next season after strong performances by English clubs in continental competition.
“There was a worry when we won the cup that we’d drop. Just a subconscious feeling that you’ve achieved a massive high and there’s a fall from that,” Howe said.
“The challenge for the group was can you go again and they’ve done that well. (A top-four finish) will mean a great deal to us. But it’s difficult to think too far ahead and think of the implications.
“We need to do our job and that is to win games.”
Newcastle host Manchester United at the weekend before another home game against Crystal Palace on April 16. They then go to top-four rivals Aston Villa.
“We’re playing with confidence but we’re going to need it because the next three games are tough,” Howe added.
“It’s going to hot up. The next week for us is a big week. We have three really tough games and that will go a long way in seeing where we are at the end of the season.”
Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes scores their third goal against Leicester.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Murphy summed up the buoyant mood at the club.
“It’s been unbelievable. The bus tour was out of this world, such a great day. You can see why the greats get addicted to winning trophies, the feeling it gives you,” the Englishman said.
“Now we’re back training, you want that again next season. We want to keep striving for better and taste it again.”
Meanwhile, relegation for Ruud van Nistelrooy’s hapless 19th-place Foxes is all but certain after a solitary season in the Premier League.
Leicester last scored a league goal in front of their own fans against Brighton & Hove Albion on Dec 8 and they are the first side in football league history to lose eight home league games in a row without scoring a goal. REUTERS, AFP
