Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has admitted only winning games will justify his approach to the task of dragging Newcastle out of Premier League relegation trouble.
The 44-year-old will head for Leicester in Sunday having finally tasted victory in his fourth game at the helm against Burnley last weekend to end the Magpies’ wait for a first league win of the campaign at the 15th attempt.
However despite the positivity which has engulfed the club in the wake of a battling display, Howe knows it will count for little if he and his players do not use it as a platform to launch a concerted effort to drag themselves up the table.
He said: “You need to win games to justify everything, really, your way of playing, what you do, how you train.
“Talking about positives is one thing, but actually having the evidence to back it up is another and I think that’s key.
“Obviously we follow statistics and the metrics behind performances very closely. It’s a big part of what we do and we’ve been pleased with lots of aspects of our performances.
“But winning is ultimately what you’re here to do, so we were delighted to actually do that.
“You have to prove every game that your motivation is right and your quality is there. I know how difficult it is to win Premier League games – it is incredibly difficult.
“But back-to-back wins, the momentum of a few results together can really change the outlook of your season, so that’s what we’re aiming to do.”
Victory over the Clarets, the first since Mike Ashley sold the club to Amanda Staveley’s Saudi-backed consortium, was celebrated wildly in the stands, perhaps as much a reflection of how expectation on Tyneside has dwindled in recent years as a recognition of a potential turning point.
Howe is acutely aware of the parlous situation into which he has been thrust, but is keen to harness that atmosphere on and off the pitch to fuel a great escape.
He said: “Those kind of moments and that kind of atmosphere and spirit that we’ll try to generate together can really make the difference, so it was a really nice thing to do, hopefully something we don’t have to wait too long for again because we’re going to need wins.
“As everyone knows, our current league position is still very difficult and we’re going to need wins against all types of opponents to reach our aim of staying up.”
Press Association