Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has admitted it would be a “huge disappointment” if his side fail to secure qualification for the Champions League as they prepare for their final Premier League fixture of the season against Everton on Sunday.
Howe’s team knows that a victory at St James’ Park would effectively guarantee a top-five finish.
Currently fourth in the table on 66 points, Newcastle sit ahead of Chelsea and Aston Villa on goal difference, with seventh-placed Nottingham Forest a further point behind.
The Magpies are eager to cap a memorable campaign by returning to the Champions League after a one-year absence.
Howe’s squad has already ended a 56-year trophy drought with their victory over Liverpool in the League Cup final, and securing a lucrative place in Europe’s premier club competition would be the perfect crowning achievement.
“Football emotions swing so quickly. In that moment, it will feel like a huge disappointment because we have been in there fighting for two-thirds of the season,” Howe said on Friday.
“If we miss out, it will be a tough one to take. We know what we need to do and what we want to do. All our emotions are focused on that.”
When asked whether it was important for Saudi-owned Newcastle to compete in the Champions League due to the financial rewards, Howe replied: “Everyone talks about finances and I understand why because that is important.
“But for us, it’s about wanting to play against the best teams in the best competition. To try to win those competitions—that is why you compete in them.”
Newcastle’s hopes of overcoming Everton will be greatly enhanced if Sweden striker Alexander Isak returns from injury.
Isak missed last weekend’s defeat at Arsenal with a groin problem, and Howe said he was unsure whether his leading scorer would be fit to face Everton.
“We’d love him to be fit and available for the game,” Howe said. “He has to be free in his movement and everything because he’s that kind of player, he’s electric at his best. So let’s see.
“We’ll only play him if he’s fit to contribute, but at the moment he has an opportunity, potentially.”
AFP
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