Three reasons Newcastle United can start to dream…

Three reasons Newcastle United can start to dream about Europe as Eddie Howe stays grounded

Could it really happen? Could Newcastle United really upset the Premier League apple cart in their first full season since the change of ownership at the top of the football club? After only 12 games, some sections of the St James' Park faithful are starting to dream of European nights so seldom seen on Tyneside in recent years.

The pre-season targets from the outside were a mid-table finish, 10th to 8th, or simply improvement on last year's finish. You can see the goalposts are being ever so slightly shifted as Eddie Howe 's side prove they can actually mix it with the Premier League big boys.

But in vintage Howe style, there is no getting carried away. The message just minutes after Sunday's 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur was that of looking ahead to Aston Villa and not thinking too much about the fact the Magpies currently occupy a Champions League spot.

It's admirable from Howe and arguably the right stance to take. But the fanbase are starting to dream and they have a number of reasons to back up their belief this team can still be in and around the top table come May 2023.

The fact is Newcastle haven't been in this position since the 2011/12 season under Alan Pardew. That campaign brought about Europa League qualification for the north east outfit, despite a passive owner at the helm. This time around there is ambition coursing through every vein of the football club.

If Newcastle can reach the January window firmly in the hunt for European football, there is reason to believe the owners will flex the purse strings once more for that added bit of quality the team need to get over the line. James Maddison and Moussa Diaby, two key targets from the summer, could easily be revisited given the manner of Leicester and Bayer Leverkusen's starts to the season thus far.

With Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier all proving Newcastle to be a good bet in recent months, it's easy to see other big names being tempted by a move to the fortress that is St James' Park.

Not only could new additions arrive during the winter window but two returning stars have a huge role to play later in the campaign. Alexander Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin have shown what they can do in fits and starts already this term and could provide that added quality Howe's side need to continue their push for a place in Europe's premier competition.

The two attacking outlets have both been sidelined during the Magpies' recent run of form but will be raring to earn their places back once the World Cup break has been and gone. It is a credit to Newcastle that they have achieved such a run of form without the key duo at Howe's disposal.

Draws with Manchester City and Manchester United, a last-gasp blow against Liverpool and Sunday's hard-fought win in the capital all achieved without a fully fit side available. Those teams Newcastle have been matching are at a disadvantage, some would say, and that is because of their European fixtures.

The Red Devils, Arsenal and West Ham have to deal with games on both Thursday and Sunday after travelling to each and every corner of the continent for their Europa League exploits. Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham are still all embroiled with their Champions League campaigns, adding to an already hectic schedule this term.

It's a huge advantage to United that they have less miles to travel and minutes to play in midweek as they attempt to reach the European competitions themselves.

All in all, whether Howe wants to admit it or not, Howe's new-look, steely Newcastle United disrupt the normal service at the right end of the top flight this term. It remains a tough ask but the club have options to ensure this recent form isn't a flash in the pan.

Three reasons Newcastle United can start to dream about Europe as Eddie Howe stays grounded

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