Howe about that for a turnaround!

LONDON — Eddie Howe has targeted a period of sustained success for revitalized Newcastle United after the ambitious boss ended his club's 20-year absence from the Champions League.

Fueled by Howe's astute management and the financial muscle of its Saudi-backed owners, Newcastle has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the last 18 months.

A 0-0 draw against Leicester City on Monday sparked raucous celebrations at St James' Park as Howe's third-placed side confirmed its qualification for next season's Champions League.

Once regarded as the laughing stock of the Premier League, Newcastle is emerging as a genuine force for the first time since Kevin Keegan's "entertainers" came close to winning the title in the 1990s.

It is an astonishing transformation for a team who was mired in the relegation zone when Howe was hired just weeks after the 305-million-pound ($376 million) takeover from unpopular former owner Mike Ashley in October 2021.

Saudi's Public Investment Fund holds an 80 percent stake in Newcastle, with Howe the new owners' first managerial appointment, replacing the sacked Steve Bruce in November 2021.

He previously managed Bournemouth across two spells, guiding the tiny club from the fourth tier of the English game all the way to the Premier League.

The 45-year-old Howe has now guided Newcastle into the Champions League in his first full season in charge, while also taking it to its first domestic final since 1999.

However, returning to Europe's elite club competition and losing to Manchester United in the League Cup final is not nearly enough to satisfy Howe.

The Newcastle boss, who has been touted as a future England manager, has set his sights on winning the club's first major trophy since the now-defunct Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969.

"All I can think of is that next challenge coming and then being prepared for it because you can't sit back and say: 'Right, I'm going to take a month off and go and relax on a beach'," Howe said. "It's the opposite, it's: 'OK, how can we best succeed in that next phase?' So it is very much you're always on a cycle of trying to improve.

"I want success massively for this club. We want to bring silverware here if we can in the future."

Trophy drought

Newcastle's last major domestic prize came in 1955 when it lifted the FA Cup.

For such a soccer-obsessed city to go decades without a trophy has been tough on the long-suffering Toon Army — the nickname of the team's vociferous fan base — and forms a significant part of Newcastle's identity as a sleeping giant.

Newcastle has undoubtedly awoken from its slumber but to move to the next level, Howe will have to splash the cash again.

The 45-year-old has already been given over 250 million pounds ($310 million) to spend on signings since he was appointed.

Howe is well aware more reinforcements are needed to retain the Magpies' top-four place next season, while navigating the demands of the Champions League.

"We have rotated to a degree, but maybe not in the numbers that we might need to next year," Howe said.

"If you're going to do that, then the squad needs to be strong enough, so if you put out two XIs, they're of equal strength.

"Whatever we do in the transfer market, we're going to have to be very smart. We're not going to have a bottomless pit.

"In the three transfer windows I've had, we've been excellent and we have to continue that."

In the immediate aftermath of the Saudi takeover, Newcastle director Amanda Staveley boldly claimed the club could be "a Man City or Man Utd" within five years.

Transformed from punching bags to Premier League heavyweights, it would be no surprise if Newcastle slug it out with Pep Guardiola's champions in the title race much sooner than that.

AFP