Eddie Howe has us dreaming of Europe - a Newcastle fan on his club's transformation

The National's creative director on how his club have gone from relegation fodder to Champions League contenders under new Saudi ownership

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe applauds the fans after the 6-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur at St James Park. Getty Images

Just over a year ago, I watched Tottenham stick five past my team, Newcastle United, in North London. Last Sunday, we put six past them. It’s been an astonishing year for those of us that support the Toon, and it seems there is a lot more to come.

Following the Saudi-backed take-over of the club in October 2021, Newcastle have sprinted into what we were led to believe was a slow but steady, long-term plan of improvement and consolidation.

After a first season of plucky survival from what seemed a doomed position, nailed to the foot of the Premier League table, this season I’d hoped for maybe an eighth-place finish in the league and a bit of a cup run.

Yet nine months later here I am, itching for third place and Champions League qualification, and having enjoyed a stupendous, yet fruitless, trip to Wembley for the League Cup final.

Things are moving faster than any of us could have hoped.

It’s a lazy generalisation to say this is all about the injection of Saudi cash. Sure, it’s had a huge effect on the club.

Not just in the buying of better players but also the improvement of facilities, both at St James Park and the training ground. The woman’s team, the commercial department, investment within the local area and community – all have noticeably improved since we rid ourselves of the disastrous 14-year parsimonious reign of discount sportswear baron Mike Ashley.

But this team is made by Eddie Howe. Nine of the players who thrashed Tottenham preceded him at Newcastle United.

The same players that Steve Bruce had singularly failed to get a tune out of and were hurtling towards relegation just 18 months ago. Perhaps he did get a tune, but it was unlistenable, like a four-year-old screeching through its first recorder lesson. Now we are getting Beethoven.

Howe’s management and coaching skills have utterly transformed players such as Joelinton, Sean Longstaff, Fabian Schar, Jacob Murphy and Miggy Almiron from relegation fodder into Champions League contenders. Howe doesn’t get the plaudits and acclaim he deserves; he’s been transformative.

It’s easy to forget Newcastle have played in the Champions League before, though it’s been a while. Fantastic wins against Juventus and Feynoord in 2002/03, and matching Inter Milan at the San Siro in front of 12,000 travelling Geordies before finally bowing out in Barcelona on a rain-sodden trip to Catalunya.

Then there was 1997, the season of Tino Asprilla’s hat-trick in the beating of Barcelona, and watching Oasis at Newcastle Arena the same evening. As we would say, ‘canny’. Those nights may be just around the corner, just need Noel and Liam to sort out their differences and it’s game on.

Howay the Lads.

Newcastle v Spurs ratings