Eddie Howe speaks out about Newcastle United's form ahead of crucial Champions League tie at St James' Park
The games keep coming thick and fast for Newcastle United, who have to shake off the disappointment of that dire 0-0 draw on Sunday and head into a massive Champions League tie against PSV on Wednesday night.
St James' Park will host the latest Champions League fixture as the Dutch side, who haven't lost away from home all season, head to Tyneside.
PSV sit atop the Eredivisie with just one defeat to their name, so they aren't going to be an easy opponent by any means.
Newcastle are still in with a shout of a top-eight finish in the Champions League, which would see them progress to the knockout stages without the need for a two-legged playoff.
Eddie Howe says Newcastle have been much more consistent since the last international break
It's going to be a tough test for sure, and confidence whether this team can rise to the occasion after watching them struggle so much on Sunday is probably not where it should be.
However, Eddie Howe has noted the upturn in results since the November international break and made mention of it in his press conference this afternoon.
"I have said many times since that international break I have seen an upturn in performances generally. We have been much more consistent and I have been pleased with the response of the players. We haven't been perfect but generally much better, much more like ourselves and I have been pretty pleased. The challenge is to maintain that."
Newcastle's upturn in form has been notable since November
As we pointed out earlier today, Newcastle are in the top three in the Premier League for points accrued, goals scored and goal difference in the Premier League since that international break, so there has clearly been a revival since then, even if it sometimes doesn't feel like it.
The problem is that the games come so quickly that there's no real time to absorb what's happening, and it's so much easier to focus on the negative, so when we struggle like we did on Sunday, that feeling lingers, especially as it followed a defeat in midweek.
A good performance on Wednesday night could change everything, although our upcoming fixtures are the stuff of nightmares, so how long that good feeling will last is anyone's guess.
