On Monday night, Eddie Howe and Newcastle secured their place in the Champions League; it is a stunning turnaround led by the former Bournemouth manager who, within 18 months, has taken this Newcastle team from 19th and five points off safety to third place, finishing above the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham.
It is also a story which has been carefully curated by Newcastle’s owners - those of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.
Notable signings by the nation-state have already included Kieran Trippier from Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid, and Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad - a side that will join Newcastle in Europe’s elite competition next season.
Newcastle owners will have a big role to play this summer if they are to give Eddie Howe the tools he needs to ensure Newcastle remain competitive, in a season in which they will have to combine the pressures of playing Europe’s best sides as well as the hectic Premier League schedule.
As Eddie Howe faced the media for his final pre-match conference of the season, he spoke of the players that will miss out on Super Sunday’s action, the need to keep overachieving and how his work has only just begun.
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Howe confirmed that the absentees for the trip to Stamford Bridge remain the same as those that missed the Leicester game, with two midfield regulars in Joe Willock and Joelinton missing out, both of who have had fine seasons in the black and white striped shirt of the Magpies.
"We have a few issues. To be honest, it is good that the end of the season has come when it has because we would have been quite stretched. Joelinton will miss Sunday's game, as will [Javier] Manquillo. There are others with issues, so we are stretched, but it will give us a chance to have a look at one or two others.”
One player which Howe has chosen to call upon more frequently is Elliot Anderson. The 20-year-old Scottish midfielder had a fine spell at Bristol Rovers in the 2021-2022 season where he scored seven goals and assisted six; he subsequently played his football in Newcastle’s U23's set up where he scored five and assisted one in seven games.
The midfielder, however, has largely been confined to appearances off the bench for Newcastle but made his second start this season for against Leicester, playing 77 minutes and helping to secure European football with a lively display on the left side of the midfielder three.
Howe may choose to take another leap of faith and hand the youngster his second successive start for the trip to West London.
The need to keep ‘overachieving’
While there are many new faces on Tyneside, a large number of players still remain from the Mike Ashley era. These faces have been rejuvenated by Howe, who has got the very best out of the previously incapable striker Joelinton, Miguel Almiron, who has seen his goal contributions increase ten-fold since the 2021-2022 season, and Jacob Murphy who has been embowed with confidence becoming a nightmare to play against.
For Howe, this season’s form has been an overachievement and now his squad will have to continue to match the high expectations set by the fans.
"It's not something at the start of season we could have predicted," said Howe.
"It is a tough league. The challenge we face is at the highest level and we have had to be very consistent. That is the biggest compliment I can pay the players. To do this achievement is not something taken lightly by me. It's a massive moment for us. Living up to that expectation is going to be the hardest challenge.
We have overachieved and will have to keep overachieving. To match the expectations is going to be our biggest challenge."
Next season is ‘just the start’
Howe has a fine CV as one of the few English managers in the English top division. The former Cherries manager was a fan favourite on the south coast, winning promotion from League One before winning the Championship title in 2015. He would go onto manage the club for five back-to-back seasons in the Premier League.
Newcastle could have been described as a significant step up, with greater pressure placed on his still young shoulders, especially with their new financial backers.
However, Howe has responded in superb style with Champions League qualification and the highest point tally in over two decades.
Speaking of this season's success, Howe said: “I don’t ever sit and rank them. It’s definitely up there and high at the top of the list. I also go back to my first season in management which was so difficult. We were fighting relegation and fighting for the club’s future. Staying in the league was a huge thing. Promotions and now this, time will tell”.
Howe was also keen to state that no legacy was in the works yet, with this season being just the start, on what he hopes will be a long road of success for the Magpies.
"I just feel it's too early for me, the players, for anyone to talk about legacy here because I feel like we have just started."
