Sean Longstaff has spoken about "crazy turnaround" at Newcastle United thanks to Eddie Howe and his backroom team. In Jason Tindall, Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone, Howe's backroom core have helped guide the team up the table in the Premier League from rock bottom to ninth place in a matter of months.
The changes on Tyneside have not gone unnoticed but midfielder Longstaff has given his view from the inside. Longstaff told Chronicle Live: "It's been a pretty crazy turnaround, hasn't it?
"But it's something that reflects what is happening behind the scenes, a new manager coming in, his staff, hours and hours of work. Little extra bits have given me confidence in training.
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"Obviously they have given us some sort of plan and we have stuck to it. You've seen the turnaround in terms of individual performances and that is all down to the staff really."
United's dressing room applauded as one at the end of the 3-0 win at Norwich. Given United have previously courted headlines for training ground spats, fall outs with former managers and friction in the dressing room, Howe and co's attention to detail seems to have maintained harmony behind the scenes so far.
Longstaff went on: "As a group, we are so close together. It has been a pretty crazy turnaround but everyone in the dressing room is absolutely loving it. Considering where we were to where we are now is such a big difference and it is great to be a part of it."
Newcastle will go into their testing run-in safe in the knowledge they won't be sucked into the relegation battle in the top-flight. Given the club have fought against the drop for the last four years since promotion it makes for a pleasant change for fans and players.
Longstaff, a boyhood fan of Newcastle who has rose through the Academy and into the first team to make 82 appearances for the club, said: "Definitely as a local lad (great to see a less stressful finish). The fans have been through some pretty tough times, especially at the start of the season. It was pretty bleak wasn't it?
"For them to come away with a 3-0 away win we probably haven't done that a lot - especially a game that is wrapped up by 49 minutes. They had a great day out and it's not a close game to travel to so it is great we can send them home happy.
"The dressing room is buzzing, it is crazy what can happen when the ownership, players, staff and fans are together. It can be a pretty powerful thing and we're showing that at the minute."
