Newcastle United players and staff see a magnificent portrait of Sir Bobby Robson hanging up in the club’s new plush reception at Benton every morning in their quest to take the club to the next level.
Unbeknown to younger players and staff, just a few yards away is the old entrance to the training ground where Sir Bobby once carried a box with his belongings to a waiting car after being sacked in 2004. A bad start to the 2004/05 season combined with a slip from third place to fifth place in the Premier League for Newcastle had cost the ex-England manager his job.
With hindsight, it was bad move by the board at that time, and Newcastle struggled to recover from it, finishing in the top five just one more time in between 2004 and last season’s fourth place finish. Eddie Howe is the man in the hotseat now and despite the fact Newcastle have lost their top four status and will have to settle for a place in one of the other UEFA competitions, Howe does not see it as a negative.
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His words would have undoubtedly left Robson impressed, Howe told Chronicle Live: “It all depends on how you look at it. If you look at any situation negatively, that can be a hangover.
“I’d love to think we look at it slightly differently now. If we can achieve European competition then I think we go into next year with a lot of hope and a lot of optimism.”
Since the takeover, Newcastle have finished 11th and fourth, with seventh and sixth arguably the best case scenario this term. Howe insists that time has moved on significantly since 2004 and that decision to terminate Robson’s contract.
The head coach pointed to the progress that Newcastle have made since 2021 when they were rock bottom of the table where this weekend’s opponents Sheffield United currently lie slumped.
Howe said: “I don’t think we should be in a position where we should be looking at anything negatively. Especially after what these players have done for the last two and a half years, they have been a credit to the football club.
“So I don’t see that. From where we have come from now in such a short period of time, we should all be positive.”
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View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-war-cry-sir-29067600