Newcastle United training ground blueprint revealed as Eddie Howe shares player demands

Eddie Howe still believes Newcastle United have some way to go before they can officially say they are "back".

However, the Toon head coach is delighted that his team are starting to show signs that they are edging ever closer to the same style of play they had in 2023 when they qualified for the Champions League. Howe has spoken about the "two hallmarks" for success he expects as Newcastle boss.

Explaining the hallmarks Howe said: "Firstly, free-flowing attacking football, delivered with intensity and finished with a ruthless streak in the final third to capitalise on the possession.

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"And secondly a never say die spirit to defend as a unit, fight for every ball and achieve the right outcome. We are working hard to show these qualities on a consistent basis."

For all the talk of struggles at United this season, Newcastle are only two points shy of their tally after the same 11-game period 12 months ago. With 18 points after 11 games this term they are also two places lower in the table compared to autumn 2023's sixth place in the table at the same time.

The Magpies are beginning to show their ruthless streak again after a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. However, the international break came at a bad time in terms of momentum and Newcastle also face a two day wait when Premier League action resumes with a Monday night game against West Ham.

Howe and his players jet off to Saudi Arabia for a warm weather training camp tomorrow but he has already warned his squad about the dangers of complacency. Talking about that win over Forest, Howe said: "We knew the importance of it, we didn’t want it to be a false dawn. The challenge for the players was to come here against a team in good form."