"The size of the task remains what it is, I just hope the game doesn’t damage our players’ confidence. The next group of games could potentially be season-defining.
"Giving them the confidence to execute is the challenge I face. It’s a good group of players with a good attitude but we have to take this defeat on the chin and come back again."
It is almost impossible to recall the despair which dominated chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan's last visit to St James' Park on January 8. Eddie Howe's side had won just once in all competitions, but the signing of Kieran Trippier would prove to be the first of five key additions that month.
Magpies legends Warren Barton and Brian Kilcline were among those in attendance as the new owners bid to rebuild bridges burnt by the previous regime. However, Trippier's Newcastle debut in front of Al-Rumayyan did not go to plan as the hosts suffered a humiliating FA Cup third-round defeat at the hands of Cambridge United.
Howe - who has appeared calm in the face of all highs and lows during his time in charge so far - outlined his fear that a loss to League One opposition could knock the dwindling belief of his squad. A week later, an 87th-minute Joao Pedro equaliser for relegation rivals Watford delivered Newcastle another 'devastating' blow.
The optimism generated from the takeover could not detract the scale of the task facing Howe to pull off the great escape. But fast forward 103 days, and Al-Rumayyan could afford a post-match kickabout safe in the knowledge the Magpies would be playing in the Premier League next season.
Howe has become the first Newcastle boss since Sir Bobby Robson to lead the club to six straight victories on home soil. While it is not yet mathematically guaranteed, United are looking up at the unlikeliest of top-half finishes rather than anxiously awaiting Saturday's clash with basement side Norwich City.
It began with a Illan Meslier mistake and a hard-fought away victory at Elland Road. Howe hoped the 'massive' win against Leeds United would 'transform' his side's season.
United took advantage of a break in their calendar to undergo a warm-weather training camp in Saudi Arabia, and returned to Premier League action a team reborn. Successive home victories over Everton and Aston Villa were secured, and lifted the resurgent Magpies out of the relegation zone.
The revival would eventually stretch to a nine-match unbeaten run, as Newcastle rubbed shoulders with challengers Liverpool and champions Manchester City in the 2022 form table. Deadline-day arrivals Dan Burn and Matt Targett made an immediate impact, while Bruno Guimaraes was forced to wait patiently for his moment.
Three straight defeats including a bruising second-half collapse at Tottenham provided something of a reality check for a fanbase daring to dream once again. But any lingering concerns over the relegation battle have been assuaged by the latest run of three consecutive home wins.
All have come against sides who will likely be considered the barometer for success next season for Newcastle. Howe's side overcame a resilient Wolves, performed a rope-a-dope on Leicester City before grinding out another single-goal victory against a Crystal Palace side still smarting from an FA Cup semi-final exit.
It is a comeback which has rightly seen Howe mentioned as a contender for the Premier League's manager of the year award. Cynics will point to a transfer spend in excess of £90m, ignoring the vast improvement in the pre-existing squad which has seen the likes of Joelinton, Fabian Schar and most recently Emil Krafth come to the fore.
Amanda Staveley has outlined the consortium's ambition to lead Newcastle to silverware within a decade, a prospect which remains distant despite the remarkable conclusion to this season. For Al-Rumayyan though, the transformation between these visits could not have been more drastic, and the new owners can now start plotting the first stage of their long-term rebuild in earnest.
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