Dominic Scurr reflects on Eddie Howe's Newcastle United press conference at the Newcastle United Media Centre. The Magpies host Everton in the Premier League in their final game of the season on Sunday.
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00:00Here at the Newcastle United Media Centre for the last time this season, speaking to Eddie Howe ahead of Newcastle United's final game of the Premier League season against Everton at St James' Park.
00:12Goes without saying, it's Newcastle's biggest game of the Premier League season and could cap off an incredible season for the club with Champions League qualification.
00:22It's in Newcastle's hands. A win would do it. Anything less than a win and they're looking at results elsewhere.
00:30I posted a graphic on social media the other day explaining all the realistic permutations.
00:36Basically, Newcastle win, Champions League. Newcastle draw, they'd need Aston Villa to draw or lose to Man U or alternatively Chelsea and Nottingham Forest to draw.
00:48If they lose to Everton, they'd need Aston Villa to lose to Manchester United.
00:53So, yeah, that's the situation. But really, let's not overcomplicate it. Newcastle, focus, get the win on Sunday against Everton.
01:03And it's plain sailing. They'll look ahead to the summer, planning for Champions League football once again, which is great to see or great to be in this position.
01:13I think if anyone at the start of the season was offered, you go into the final game of the season, home game against Everton, and you need a win to confirm Champions League.
01:24After missing out on Europe last season, you would have taken it. And even more so with the added context of you've also won a major trophy.
01:31I think anyone a major trophy and then really not having a particularly good season in the Premier League, I think many people would have taken after 70 years without a domestic trophy.
01:42But I think what Eddie Howe was saying, the big questions, obviously, on player fitness, Joe Linton won't be available.
01:50Kieran Trippier is a doubt. And obviously, the elephant in the room, the big one, Alexander Isak. Will he be available?
01:57And I'll be honest, this is just my personal opinion. Eddie Howe, I wasn't expecting him to say, oh, yeah, Alexander Isak definitely will or definitely won't be available.
02:05That's just not what Eddie Howe does. That's not his style. But I was actually quite encouraged by what Eddie Howe was saying, where he said, look, he hasn't trained with the group, but he's been back on the grass.
02:18He's been running without any problems. And they're going to step that up, that sort of load up over the coming days.
02:25And by coming days, I mean tomorrow, ahead of the Sunday's game. Probably won't train today with the group, at least.
02:34And then tomorrow, that's when Newcastle make the assessment. But I'd say Alexander Isak with one day training, it's not ideal, but still, a player of his quality who's scored 27 goals this season, it's, if he's available, if he's even 60% fit, get him in the squad.
02:52Because that's, Newcastle need all the firepower they can get. I mean, their record without Alexander Isak this season in the Premier League is not great.
03:00One of the games he missed earlier in the season was the 0-0 draw at Everton, where Anthony Gordon missed a penalty.
03:07And Newcastle haven't won a game or scored a goal from open play without Alexander Isak in the starting line-up this season.
03:15So, yeah, it's a big one. And him being available would just be a massive boost.
03:20So, I just think Newcastle potentially just keeping things under wraps, keeping things a little bit uncertain over Alexander Isak.
03:27And then, if indeed he is in the squad, which I'm encouraged by what Eddie Howe's saying, but we'll wait and see.
03:34Obviously, if he's in the squad, that just comes as a massive boost to everyone ahead of such an important game.
03:41And, yeah, I think you're looking at the games, the race for Champions League qualification, Europe, which is basically the only thing anyone's playing for in the Premier League in the final day.
03:52The relegation's sorted, the league titles sorted.
03:56But if you look at the rivals, the likes of Aston Villa, Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, a home game against Everton, you wouldn't swap for any of the other games, if you know what I mean.
04:10OK, Manchester United have been terrible this season, but a trip to Old Trafford historically is never an easy one for Newcastle and certainly indeed Aston Villa as well.
04:20So, would you swap a home game against Everton for an away game against Manchester United?
04:24To be honest, I don't think many people would.
04:26Would you swap a trip to Nottingham Forest in Chelsea's boots?
04:32Or would you take hosting Chelsea on the last game of the season in terms of Nottingham Forest's situation?
04:39You probably wouldn't over Everton at home, where Everton have absolutely nothing to play for but pride.
04:45Obviously, there's a few factors.
04:48There's a little bit of needle in these games, usually, usually surrounding Jordan Pickford, but don't need to really mention that too much.
04:55But, yeah, it's an interesting dynamic heading into the final day.
05:00But what I would say is Newcastle, on paper, at least have the most favourable fixture of any of their teams they're competing with.
05:07So, hopefully, they can get the job done.
05:10I think Champions League football is massive.
05:12Eddie Howe was asked, well, is there a bit of you that goes, well, Europa League football, you've got a much more realistic chance of winning that competition.
05:21Do you look at it as almost a silver lining?
05:23If you do miss out, then Europa League, and Eddie Howe sort of was keen to play that down.
05:27He says, no, we're football clubs, we're competitive, we want to be competing at the highest level possible.
05:33If we start looking at sort of roots out of it and trying to sugarcoat what would be seen as a bit of disappointment, then that's not really what he's about.
05:43Champions League football is the aim.
05:44Anything less than that would be seen as disappointment.
05:48But that's just the up and down nature of football, reflecting on the season as a whole.
05:53Sunday's result ultimately isn't going to change an awful lot.
05:56It's been a brilliant season for Eddie Howe, for his players.
06:00Winning a trophy is the ultimate.
06:03And I think Champions League qualification would be the cherry on the top of what has been an incredible season.
06:10And I think it would make it probably Newcastle's greatest season in decades, really.
06:16Certainly since the last won a trophy.
06:18But I'd say going before that, you're looking at almost the last time they won a league title back 100 years ago or so.
06:25So, yeah, it's going to be a good season to reflect on either way.
06:32But hopefully Newcastle get the job done, get Champions League football and start looking ahead to what will hopefully be a busy summer,
06:39which was something I asked Eddie Howe about.
06:41He's dropped sort of little hints in the past few weeks.
06:45Oh, it's going to be a big summer.
06:47PSR isn't an issue for us.
06:49So I just asked him, what does a big summer mean?
06:52And he just said, look, it just means last summer was so uncertain and so sort of unnerving for a lot of players as well.
07:03It created a lot of tension behind the scenes and things like that.
07:06Newcastle had to sell players and they were going into the summer with that mentality.
07:10It's completely flipped this summer.
07:12Newcastle are looking, going into the summer window, looking to get business done quickly.
07:16What that business will be is unclear.
07:20Eddie Howe said transfer window is unpredictable, but transfer window opens June 1st to June 10th,
07:25closes for almost a week, then reopens again on June 16th.
07:30So slightly unusual, but Eddie Howe looking to get business done quickly is what he said.
07:35And Newcastle's players return for pre-season on the 7th of July.
07:40That's the date pencilled in.
07:41Could be subject to change a few days either way, but that is the date as things stand.
07:46And hopefully we'll have a few new faces in the building by then, but we'll wait and see on that regard.
07:52But in the meantime, you can catch all the fallout from Eddie Howe's press conference,
07:56all the previews looking ahead to Sunday's big game against Everton at St. James' Park over on the Shields Gazette.
08:03And you can also check out myself at Don Skurr on X for all your latest updates.
08:08So yeah, thank you for watching and I'll see you at St. James' Park on Sunday.
08:13Cheers.