It's been more than a successful season for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United. A Carabao Cup Final appearance - their first at Wembley in nearly 25 years -, a fun-to-watch style of football on the pitch and a push for the Champions League places.
While many fans would be happy if the season ended right now, the possibility of getting into the top four for the first time since 2002 is a chance too good to pass up for many, which is why the current rut of form is so devastating.
The Magpies haven't won a league game since mid-January and are slowly seeing their dreams of European football fade away. But not everyone thinks they're down and out of it yet.
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While Eddie Howe searches for his first top four finish as a Premier League manager, here's what the other top six managers have said about Newcastle and their aims this season...
Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
The Arsenal boss highlighted Howe and his side as a big test when the two sides met earlier this year in January, saying: "A very good team. Very well coached.
"I think what Eddie has done in that short period of time, you look at the numbers, it’s incredible. Big credit to him and his coaching staff. Then they have created a belief, a big momentum around the team that they play the same way against any opponent.
"We are going to play at home in front of our crowd and we’re looking forward to it."
However, Arteta was hesitant to label the Magpies as title challengers after the 0-0 draw, saying: "I don’t know. There’s still a long way to go. We will see. When there’s 10 games to go probably I can respond to that question."
Pep Guardiola - Manchester City
The Manchester City manager was similarly flattering of the Magpies when Howe's men travelled to the Etihad Stadium last weekend and warned other clubs about their potential in the future.
"The game started and they were better, we struggled to build-up, we made some changes during the first half and after the brilliant action from Phil [Foden], we had the game in our hands, we didn’t suffer.
"The first minutes of the second half were good but then we lost the game and Bernardo helped us to come back. Their threat is not a surprise, there is a reason why they were in the Carabao Cup final and for a lot of minutes they were better than United.
"This team and this club in the next few years will be a threat for the title."
Erik ten Hag - Manchester United
Before both sides met in the Carabao Cup Final, Ten Hag highlighted their 'annoying' play style and admitted it's frustrating to play against them because it makes it hard to focus on your own game.
"I think it’s a great team with a clear philosophy about how they want to play the game. The key word is intensity. They do really well.
"They’re an annoying team to play against, so we have to find a way to win. They try to annoy you. We have to make sure that we play our game and we focus on our game."
After the Final however, the Dutchman claimed the Magpies were easy to counter at Wembley because of their 'typical style'.
"We can adapt to different styles. Newcastle have a typical style, but we can adapt – and we can find a way to win."
Antonio Conte - Tottenham
Antonio Conte doesn't seem to be the biggest fan of how Eddie Howe and the Magpies are going about their business.
The Spurs boss claimed earlier this year that 'medium-low' clubs are spending money now on important players which is making it harder for his side to get into the top four.
"I think first of all we have to try to do our best, to work really hard and at the end of the season we will see which is our position. For sure for our Champions League place there are teams like Chelsea, like Liverpool, United and now Newcastle."
"Also in England there are teams like Brighton, Brentford, I don’t want to forget some teams and it becomes really difficult because every team, every club can spend money.
"You go to play against a team that you think is medium-low and instead you find important players. I said in the past and I don’t want to repeat, but it will be a difficult season and we have to try first of all to recover all the players."
Jurgen Klopp - Liverpool
Back in October, the Reds boss claimed that the club has 'no ceiling' because of their new-found spending money, highlighting the difficulties for his side to compete in the transfer market, saying: "What does Liverpool do? We cannot act like them. It is not possible. Not possible. It is just clear and again you know the answer.
"There are three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially. It's legal and everything, fine, but they can do what they want. They will say 'yeah but we have...' but it's exactly the fact.
"I heard now that at Newcastle somebody [sporting director Dan Ashworth] said 'there is no ceiling for this club'. Yes! He is right. He is absolutely right. There is no ceiling for Newcastle. Congratulations, but other clubs have ceilings."
However, just two months afterwards, he noted Eddie Howe's side as a 'massive contender' after the World Cup break where he said: "We all knew that Newcastle would be a massive contender from now on, and it’s clear with Man United, Arsenal playing an exceptional season, all respect for that, City is City, so all of a sudden you have four teams occupying, Tottenham fighting hard, Chelsea still there.
"We are back to a top six or top seven, if you like, and only four can make it. We know that absolutely. The quality of the opponents is obviously clear, but most of the things we can still sort ourselves.
"If they win all the time, we cannot get closer, but we meet some of them, and, for us, we are under pressure like other teams are under pressure, because it’s not the nicest thing to have us three or five points behind you. That doesn’t give you any kind of security, but we better play a special second half of the season to have a chance to make it to the Champions League, which is obviously our target."
Klopp would again praise the Magpies after their 2-0 loss to Liverpool back in February, saying: "We didn't score [a third] and keeps the game exciting and Newcastle, all credit to them, they put a proper shift in, they really wanted to go for it, they fought really hard. That's why it was exciting until the end but we got the three points and we are very happy about that."
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