64 days ago the feeling around Newcastle United was an entirely different one. As the rain lashed down in west London, the Magpies trudged off the Gtech Community Stadium pitch having just endured a second-half collapse at Brentford.

“I would like to thank everyone who came today and I’m really sorry for what we delivered and my pledge is that we will always work as hard as we can to put it right," Eddie Howe told the media in the aftermath of the clash.

The Newcastle boss was never under pressure internally, with the club never once wavering with their backing of the head coach. The vast majority of supporters, too, backed him to get United back on track.

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However, there was a small rumbling beginning to emerge, from certain sections of the fanbase - including some of the noisier supporters on social media - with some pondering whether the end of the road was approaching.

Such a disappointing 4-2 defeat at Brentford had followed a barnstorming 3-3 draw with Liverpool, adding to the frustration. Earlier points dropped at Crystal Palace, at home to West Ham United and a shaky start to the 2024/25 campaign were all adding to the doubts.

Howe and his team knew they needed a response - and boy did they get one. Since the defeat in the capital, Leicester, Brentford, Ipswich Town, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal x2, Bromley, Wolves, Southampton and Birmingham have all been swatted aside.

There have been bumps in the road, with home defeats to Bournemouth and Fulham, during that period but Newcastle are now eyeing a second cup run of the season. Howe, never content with anything but winning, wants another Wembley tilt.

"We are just constantly trying to tweak things and trying to improve," the boss said after the pre-Christmas win over Ipswich - where Newcastle looked like they may have been turning a corner. "There are a number of little things to upturn our form. Our creative play has been back to what it has always been - free scoring and looking like we can create at any time."

The turnaround of the last two months cannot be hung on one tactical tweak or one training ground change. In truth, Newcastle have improved in all positions and also behind the scenes. The inspired switch of Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali has proved crucial. The former is now flourishing in his favoured right-sided No 8 role, chipping in with goal involvements, while the latter roams in front of the defence and puts his engine to good use.

Tonali thrived in the most central of midfield roles in the Carabao Cup win at Chelsea earlier in the campaign and has since been bedded into that position on a permanent basis in the league. The Italian finally looks to have arrived on Tyneside after a stellar run of form which now makes him undroppable.

At the back, Howe's defensive assets look settled, while Martin Dubravka has turned his own Newcastle career on its head. The Slovakian's calmness with the ball at his feet has, strangely, made the Magpies a more stable unit.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Alexander Isak hit full stride. The Swede was, at one point, chasing down Jamie Vardy's Premier League record of scoring in 11 consecutive games - before falling flat after eight fixtures.

Newcastle's record signing has proved unplayable at times in recent weeks, staying fit through a hefty stretch of games while Callum Wilson could recover from a hamstring issue. Isak's emphatic form was arguably the biggest reason for Newcastle winning nine on the spin before the Bournemouth defeat last month.

Winning that many games breeds confidence - and there was an element of shock when the Cherries dispatched United 4-1 at St James' Park to bring them crashing down to earth. Howe held his hands up and admitted fatigue had finally hit his side. That one defeat does not change the fact Newcastle have revived their top four hopes, there is another Wembley trip in the diary and Howe fancies another run to the final in the FA Cup.

The overwhelming patience shown to the boss has paid off - as many knew it would. Howe is now planning how to continue improving his side with those short-lived concerns firmly put to bed.