00:00Accusations of staleness at Newcastle United had circulated for a few weeks due to poor
00:06form in the Premier League. It was something which head coach Eddie Howe was aware of,
00:11and made clear his attempts to combat it. The win against Leicester on Saturday was
00:16the perfect remedy, but those at the club know it has to be built on.
00:21Newcastle now have the ideal opportunity to do this, with a win against Brentford under
00:25the lights at St. James' Park that would see them progress into the semi-finals of
00:29the League Cup. This is a feat they achieved just two seasons ago, but this time, given
00:34all the recent questions, would perhaps feel even more significant.
00:39Howe made clear that the inconsistency Newcastle have exhibited this season has been a frustration
00:43to everyone at the club, adding that they do not want to take two steps back every time
00:48that they win a game. Given the importance of the cup clash on Wednesday, Howe recognised
00:54that this was the time to turn a corner.
00:58Lifting a major trophy at Newcastle United is something that has evaded those at the
01:02club since the InterCities Fairs Cup win in the 1960s under their then manager Joe Harvey
01:08and his captain Bob Moncur. Newcastle have had good players and good teams since then,
01:14but all have ultimately fallen short of that one goal.
01:17This is something that Howe has been keen to change ever since he took charge at the
01:21club and, ahead of the Brentford fixture, made clear that he and his crop of players
01:26want to be the ones who get over the line and achieve something special. They came close
01:31in the League Cup in 2023, reaching the final, but now they want to go one step further.
01:40Of course, Howe outlined that he knows just how difficult achieving something of that
01:43nature is and will never take anything for granted, but was bullish when he stated that
01:48his side can be a match for anyone on their day and that despite the issues regarding
01:52PSR and APT rules, he believes that the impossible is possible with his players.
01:58One player who Howe has been without for some time now is Sven Bottmann. The Dutch central
02:03defender has been out since the spring, having torn his anterior cruciate ligament, which
02:07required surgery and rehabilitation. Bottmann made his playing return on Monday for Newcastle's
02:13under-21s against Chelsea's youth team. Bottmann played 60 minutes and was lauded
02:21for his composure on his return as Newcastle's young side won 3-2. Howe highlighted just
02:26how much Newcastle have missed Bottmann during his time out and praised his movement on the
02:31pitch despite it being his first game back in several months.
02:37Howe made clear though that Bottmann will not be available for selection for the first
02:42team until at least the end of December or even the start of January and that the club
02:48are easing him back into action in accordance with a plan that they set out for his return
02:53to competitive action in the Premier League and the Cup.
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