What Eddie Howe has demanded of his players going into the game against Nottingham Forest

Eddie Howe has admitted that Newcastle United's performances this season have been a 'mixed bag' which is perhaps putting it mildly.

Before the back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Arsenal, Newcastle fans were close to their breaking point after an odd start to the season.

Newcastle started by picking up points while playing the worst football we've seen under Eddie Howe, but then, as we sorted our performances out, we stopped picking up points and were seemingly unable to score goals.

The two home wins against Chelsea and Arsenal have restored a lot of faith, but the big test will come today as Newcastle face in-form Nottingham Forest on the road.

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Eddie Howe wants his players to be at 100% from minute one

Newcastle's away form still leaves a lot to be desired, but after two accomplished victories, the confidence levels have surely risen amongst the players. That being said, Eddie Howe is very keen to ensure that the venue doesn't make a difference and has laid down the law for his players ahead of this afternoon's game (via The Northern Echo).

“Our away performances have been a slightly mixed bag. So, the consistency hasn't been absolutely what we want it to be.

“The Fulham game is a standout negative for me, where we didn't perform at any level. I think the other games we've seen really good bits within the games and then some inconsistent moments within the same game.

“And I think to win on the road, you have to have that solidity and that energy and everything that we always speak about in terms of our best performances, we need to see it there right from minute one, especially against the teams that are in form and doing well.”

Eddie Howe is calling on the memories of the Champions League days for inspiration

To be honest, the opening minutes have rarely been a problem this season when we've failed to pick up points. We've started brightly and faded after 15 minutes traditionally. Thankfully that seems to be a thing of the past, but again, today is a huge test of that.

Eddie Howe knows what needs to be done and has looked back on the Champions League days for inspiration when it comes to finding form on the road.

“We're searching for that [consistency], of course. And there's a lot that goes into it. We're looking to get the right balance in the team.

“Certainly, in previous seasons we've done that, in the Champions League season I think we found a formula where we were the same team regardless of where we played, we had the same characteristics and we really need to discover that quickly this season in order to have the season that we want.”