The 48-year-old has found himself in the firing line since a 2-1 derby defeat by promoted Sunderland at St James' Park
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Eddie Howe has insisted he is not being distracted by the noiseopen image in gallery
Eddie Howe has insisted he is not being distracted by the noise (PA Wire)
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Eddie Howe is refusing to be distracted by the noise surrounding his future as Newcastle head coach.
The 48-year-old has found himself in the firing line since a 2-1 derby defeat by promoted Sunderland at St James' Park before the international break, a reverse which came four days after the Magpies' latest Champions League adventure was ended by a 7-2 drubbing in Barcelona.
That double disappointment has prompted stern criticism of a man whose four-and-a-half-year reign to date has brought a first major domestic trophy since 1955 and a return to European football, and, perhaps significantly, a less than ringing endorsement from chief executive David Hopkinson last week.
Asked about his future ahead of Sunday's Premier League trip to Crystal Palace, head coach Howe replied: "For me, nothing has changed. I'm 100 per cent committed to the job. That commitment has never wavered from my side.
"I've been working during the break to come back a stronger team. In this day and age, it's difficult to look too far into the long term. I can only look at these seven games and make sure we perform at our very best level and make sure the players are ready for these games."
If Howe has reached a watershed moment, it would not be the first in his time on Tyneside.
Two summers ago during a pre-season training camp in Germany, he set out his stall amid tensions with then sporting director Paul Mitchell about the conditions under which he was prepared to work, and ultimately was backed by the club.
This time around, he faces a seven-game quest to secure another season of European competition, with Hopkinson having warned about the need for future player trading in order to meet financial rules as he pursues his aim of establishing the club in the debate over the best in the world by 2030.
Eddie Howe is under pressure at Newcastleopen image in gallery
Eddie Howe is under pressure at Newcastle (AFP via Getty Images)
Asked what it would take to keep him happy, Howe, who insisted he had not sought assurances over his immediate future since the Sunderland game, said: "The long-term prospects for the football club, I think, are really strong.
"But certainly these seasons we've experienced previously, we're probably ahead of schedule. Not all the forces are with us. We're going to have to act really smart and try to out-perform the budget to hit the levels that everyone wants.
"What do I need? Just that, I need support. Good working relationships with the people around me. A feeling of being able to express myself in the best way possible so you see the best version of myself.
"If I feel that and the club feels that, then they're getting the best manager they can from myself. Obviously, if that's not working for whatever reason, on both sides, then it's best for the football club... which is the most important thing in all of this, that is Newcastle United, not me or anybody else, it's Newcastle.
"I will always reflect that in my decision-making. I will put the club before anybody."