Eddie Howe wants his Newcastle United players to feel like they belong in the big time after yet another incredible performance against one of the Premier League's biggest sides. Tottenham Hotspur may not be at their best at present but it was a ruthless display from start to finish as the Magpies climbed to third with an emphatic 6-1 win.
Newcastle have now taken maximum points from Spurs, Manchester United and Chelsea at St James' Park, as well as holding Manchester City for a draw. They've also beaten Spurs on the road and taken points off Arsenal and Manchester United away from home.
Howe still won't allow himself to talk about potential Champions League football but wants his players to firmly believe they are good enough to disrupt the Premier League 'Big Six' both this season and beyond.
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“I’d encourage the players to think that we belong here,” said Howe. “We need that confidence. If you have doubts when you play these kind of games, then that’s not a healthy place to be.
“We want the players to go into the games believing that we are the superior team. Now, to believe that takes very good preparation and then you also need the players’ inner belief to be very high. Hopefully, with the more wins like this we can get, the more that inner belief is strengthened.”
Newcastle showed no lack of confidence throughout the emphatic St James' Park clash, scoring five inside the opening 21 minutes. The north east outfit may never have an easier Premier League start but Howe was pleased with the high standards shown across the entire 90 minutes.
“I don’t think you ever visualise a game going that way,” he added. “You hope you can really impose your game plan on your opponents’ and you hope your players can impose themselves on the opposition. But you never know how the game is going to go.
“The unpredictable nature of the game is one of the beauties of football, but what really pleased me is that we kept our high standards throughout the game."
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