Eddie Howe often said last season, as Newcastle United closed in on Champions League football, that he didn’t look at the table.
Howe, of course, will have been well aware of the club’s position in the division.
However, United’s head coach, understandably, wanted to keep his players focused on the next game amid a myriad of potential distractions.
Speaking just over a year ago, Howe said: “I haven't had time to look at the league table. I’ll glance over it, but that's not the most important thing at this moment in time.”
In the end, the club, which was fighting the threat of relegation when Howe took over in late 2021, deservedly finished fourth.
It was the club’s best since the 2011/12 campaign, when Alan Pardew and a Hatem Ben Arfa-inspired team finished fifth, and narrowly missed out on a Champions League place, following a late-season run of form.
Off-record briefing
Pardew, interestingly, had had his eye on Europe not long after taking charge of the club amid controversial circumstances in late 2009 following the dismissal of Chris Hughton, who had led his team to the Championship title the previous campaign following a potentially-disastrous relegation.
A number of journalists were invited to the club’s training ground midway through the campaign for an unusual briefing.
A bullish Pardew, speaking off the record, mapped out a possible route to European qualification in his office. He didn’t want to say as much on the record, but he sensed an opportunity for the club.
In the end, his team fell short – they finished 12th that season after being as high as seventh at one stage – but the intent was there, and his side go there the following season.
The club’s then-owner Mike Ashley was ambivalent, at best, towards European football given the demands it places on a club’s squad.
Pardew wasn’t given the players he needed to compete at home and abroad the following season. Newcastle were knocked out of the Europa League at the quarter-final stage by Benfica after a strong showing in Europe, but the team struggled in the Premier League.
Newcastle’s present owners are far more ambitious.
A few weeks ago, the club was 10th in the Premier League following a 3-2 defeat to an improving Chelsea team which is now eight games unbeaten in all competitions.
The Premier League table looks much, much better for Newcastle fans today following three wins and a draw from the club’s last four fixtures.
Howe’s side are sixth with 50 points, and comfortably ahead of Manchester United on goal difference, following Saturday’s convincing 4-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur.
United’s front three of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes were unplayable at times, and fans left St James’ Park wondering just how their team hadn’t scored six or seven goals.
“It was a great performance from us,” said Howe after the game. “I thought the players executed everything in a really professional, diligent way. I’m really pleased with the players.”
Injury-hit Newcastle have seemingly found form at the right time following a tough few months.
Against Tottenham, Howe was still without 10 injured players, yet a rejigged team, with a three-man defence led by stand-in captain Dan Burn, were dominant.
Spurred on
With players to come back from injury, Newcastle now have a real opportunity to consolidate their position over the coming weeks.
The club’s next three games are against Crystal Palace, Sheffield United and Burnley.
Maybe some fans are thinking the unthinkable and dreaming of another Champions League campaign given that the Premier League could yet have five places depending on what happens with the English clubs still competing in Europe.
That would seem very unlikely given that Tottenham, facing a difficult run of games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool, are still 10 points ahead of them.
But the fact that fans are looking up and not down the table this week tells you everything you need to know about the mood on Tyneside ahead of the club’s final six league games.
After more than a decade in the European wilderness, the club is well placed to secure a second successive continental campaign.
Europa League football would still be a big selling point to prospective players in the summer, when Howe will hope to strengthen a squad which has been stretched to breaking point by injuries and Sandro Tonali’s 10-month suspension for breaching betting rules.
Importantly given financial fair play considerations, the prize money for the Europa League, while less than that for UEFA’s premier competition, is not insignificant, and the winners also enter the following campaign’s Champions League.
The summer will also see new commercial deals kick in, notably the kit agreement with adidas, and this extra revenue will be invaluable in terms of strengthening the club’s hand in the market.
Before a ball was kicked this season, I felt that if Newcastle could secure a sixth place finish – and enjoy a run in one or more of the cups – they would have done very, very well given that the squad wasn’t yet big or strong enough to fight on several fronts.
The team was competitive in a Champions League group alongside European heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan – and reached the quarter-finals of both domestic cups.
Howe, as ever, won’t want to look that far ahead, but fans know this team has now given itself a real opportunity to secure a hugely-important return to Europe.
And it’s hard for them not to look at the table.