Eddie Howe does not want to be anywhere but Newcastle as he plots a route to lasting success after delivering Champions League football at the end of his first full season at the helm.
The 45-year-old will spend the summer working with the club’s owners and sporting director Dan Ashworth to bolster a squad already enhanced by spending in excess of £250million for the challenges which lie ahead.
In doing so he will have to make a series of tough decisions, but not about his own situation.
Asked if his long-term future lies at St James’ Park, Howe said: “Very much so, there is no other thought in my mind.
“For as long as I’m wanted, Newcastle is where I want to be. I’m hugely excited about next season and hopefully beyond.”
Howe has been linked repeatedly with the England job in recent years and his early success on Tyneside after his sterling work at Bournemouth has seen his reputation blossom.
However, he is not a man to rest on his laurels and knows what lies ahead may prove even more difficult as he attempts to balance the demands of domestic and European football.
He said: “It can be tougher [playing in Europe]. I don’t want to come across as negative or pessimistic in any way, or almost having that mindset going into next season. We need to go into next season full of positivity and full of what can be.
“We want to compete, we want to try to win a trophy, so we are very, very ambitious to move things on, but the challenges will get harder and we have to be better.”
Tyneside has been bathed in euphoria since Monday night’s 0-0 draw with Leicester ensured just a third Champions League campaign for the club and took the pressure off Sunday’s trip to Chelsea.
However, while he is determined to make an impression among Europe’s elite, Howe has no intention of forgetting the bread and butter of the Premier League.
He said: “I look at the Premier League as your first target, the foundation to your season, really, so we won’t be going away from all eyes on the Premier League, all eyes on making sure we start as well as we can and we try to be as consistent as we can.
“We won’t be taken off course in terms of our focus. The Champions League will start later on. It’s the foundation that we’re looking at and that’s the Premier League.”
If the quest for Europe was something of a pipe dream back in August, the desperation to end a trophy drought which dates back to 1969 remains after despite February’s Carabao Cup final defeat, and that will not be pushed into the background either.
Howe said: “We won’t look at the domestic cups and sacrifice them for the Champions League. That’s not my mindset sitting here now.
“We want to try to win a trophy and we came very close this year. We want to go one step further.”
Manchester City overcome Rodri dismissal to maintain 100 per cent record
Manchester City overcame the dismissal of Rodri to beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 and maintain their perfect start to the new Premier League season.
Phil Foden gave City the lead in the seventh minute when he fired home from Rodri’s lay-off, before Erling Haaland headed in a second in the 15th minute from Matheus Nunes’ cross.
Midfielder Rodri was shown a straight red card soon after the restart for squaring up to Morgan Gibbs-White and putting his hands on the throat of the Forest midfielder.
The Spaniard’s three-match suspension is set to add to Pep Guardiola’s selection problems, with the City boss only able to name eight substitutes – two of them goalkeepers.
City saw out the closing stages to make it six straight Premier League wins and move five points clear with their rivals all not in action until Sunday.
Luton fought back to earn a 1-1 draw against 10-man Wolves and pick up a first point in the Premier League.
Wolves had midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde sent off in the 38th minute for kicking out at Luton captain Tom Lockyer after sliding in for a tackle.
Pedro Neto gave the visitors the lead five minutes into the second half after latching onto a long ball.
The Hatters, though, were back on level terms in the 65th minute when Carlton Morris converted a penalty following handball from Joao Gomes.
Luton thought they have scored a late winner through Chiedozie Ogbene, but he was flagged offside.
Crystal Palace and Fulham played out a goalless draw at Selhurst Park.
Raul Jimenez went close for the visitors late in the first half when he forced Sam Johnstone into a good save.
Willian spurned a great chance late on, but sent his low shot too close to the Eagles keeper.
Crystal Palace and Fulham share points in Selhurst Park stalemate
Crystal Palace and Fulham walked away with a point apiece after their Selhurst Park encounter ended in a goalless draw.
Eagles boss Roy Hodgson was back in the dugout after missing last weekend’s loss to Aston with Villa due to illness.
The evenly-matched contest saw Eberechi Eze fire just wide late in the first half, while the visitors were unable to capitalise on their best chance after the restart.
The result ensures the London rivals will share almost identical Premier League records for another week, with Palace only ahead on goal difference.
Sam Johnstone did well to parry away Andreas Pereira’s early effort from the left corner of the penalty area, later diving to deny Willian as the first period ticked past the 10-minute mark.
Fulham picked up two bookings in quick succession before Eze floated in a dangerous free-kick which the visitors were able to clear, and boss Marco Silva breathed a sigh of relief after Joao Palhinha was deemed fit to continue after knocking heads with Jordan Ayew in an aerial challenge – for which the Palace man was booked.
The hosts earned another free-kick and this time Eze aimed straight for the visiting net, where Bernd Leno was alert to grab the ball.
At the other end, Johnstone stooped to first collect Timothy Castagne’s close-range effort at his near post, then was called in to action soon after to turn away Raul Jimenez’s good opportunity to break the deadlock of an increasingly physical contest.
Eze looked to do the same when he patiently swerved his way through a cluster of white shirts, unleashing a strike that sailed just wide of the right post, while Leno picked Ayew’s cross out of the air to ensure it remained level at the break.
Will Hughes, who was involved throughout the first half, started off the second by forcing Leno into a simple save with an attempt from his preferred left foot.
Eze, who had just slipped a fine pass to the Odsonne Edouard, who was caught offside, then saw an effort of his own saved, while Jimenez could only nod Antonee Robinson’s cross wide of Johnstone’s right post.
The Cottagers should have taken the lead when Bobby De Cordova-Reid dispossessed Hughes in midfield and worked his way down the pitch.
The opportunity was wasted when the Jamaica international slipped in Jimenez, who overcooked his pass to the awaiting Pereira and the chance skipped past his foot.
Hodgson made a 70th-minute substitution, replacing Jeffrey Schlupp with Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has so far this season proven a productive partner with the in-form Edouard.
Joachim Andersen headed Eze’s corner over and Silva made his first change, swapping Pereira with Alex Iwobi and Fulham enjoyed one of their longest spells inside Palace’s final third, Willian forcing Johnstone into another good save with a sharp effort.
Palace had a late chance of their own through Mateta, who saw his weak left-footed shot stopped shortly before four minutes of stoppage time were added to the clock.
Hodgson elected to bring on 20-year-old Jesurun Rak-Sakyi for Edouard to see out the final few minutes, where Fulham staged a late rally but were not able to find the finishing touch.
Barbados, Bermuda register wins in League B
The Road to the Concacaf Women’s Gold Cup continued with two League B encounters on Friday. Bermuda and Barbados started the tournament with three-point performances at home.
Barbados takes the top of Group C on goal difference given their larger margin of victory, while Bermuda starts in position to challenge for first place. The Dominican Republic and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines will look to avenge their defeats with a home match next week.
Bermuda vs Dominican Republic
Bermuda opened their campaign with a 2-0 home win over the Dominican Republic at the National Sports Centre in Devonshire Parish, Bermuda.
Jaden Masters opened the scoring in the 10th with a rocket from long range to send the home fans into ecstasy. This came just seconds after the Lady Warriors were close to taking the lead on an attempt from Eva Frazzoni going just wide.
Winibian Peralta attempted to equalize in the 20th from a free kick but the attempt was caught by goalkeeper Zakhari Turner.
Lucia Marte provided a dangerous hit across goal in the 32th as the Dominican Republic continued to search for the tying goal.
Masters earned her brace in the 45+1 on a Bermuda fast break, slipping the ball past goalkeeper Odaliana Gomez just outside the edge of the box.
Masters nearly completed her hat-trick in the 55th but Gomez made a big stop to keep the score within reach.
Turner ended the day with seven saves as she collected her first clean sheet of the tournament and Bermuda its first three points.
Barbados vs Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Barbados won 5-0 over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to start its campaign at the Wildey Turf Stadium in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Shanice Stevenson opened the scoring in the 10th from a free kick chance. Goalkeeper Altica Benn tried to stop the attempt but the potent was too much to contain.
Rianna Cyrus extended the lead in the 19th with some nifty footwork inside the box to convert on a delivery from Shauntae Hinds.
Cyrus extended the lead again in the 22th by evading the keeper and hitting a precise ball outside the right side of the goal area. Stevenson provided the through ball into the box.
Prior to the halftime whistle, at 45+2, Cyrus completed her hat-trick off a free kick service from Stevenson.
Cheyanna Burnett-Griffith scored a fifth for Barbados in the 75th with a strike off the bouncing ball. Keinelle Johnson provided the cross from the left flank to find Burnett-Griffith inside the area.
The defense provided a strong outing in its home opener by holding Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to zero shots on target. Kamilla Burke made an important save outside the box during the closing minutes to preserve the clean sheet.
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