Newcastle think big for 2030 but 'very difficult' for Howe to respond

It is not long until 2030 comes around.

So Newcastle United clearly have an awful lot of work to do after CEO David Hopkinson this week doubled down on his assertion that the club will be competing for the biggest prizes in the game by then.

However, there is a reason head coach Eddie Howe admitted it was "very difficult" to respond to such a timeline.

"As a manager, I don't quite know what's going to happen next week – let alone in four years' time," he said at his news conference on Friday.

Howe was speaking just a few days after the holders were eliminated from the Carabao Cup following a 5-1 aggregate defeat against Manchester City in the semi-finals.

This challenging season is now starting to take shape.

By the time the month is over, Newcastle will know if they have progressed past Qarabag into the last 16 of the Champions League and whether they have got the better of Aston Villa to reach the FA Cup fifth round.

Their prospects in the league will also become a lot clearer following some crunch fixtures in the coming weeks.

Newcastle currently lie in 11th place in the table and this weary side desperately need a victory to kickstart their campaign again following a run of just one win in seven games in all competitions.

"I can assure you the players are maxed out physically, mentally, and we see them behind the scenes," Howe added before the visit of Brentford.

"That will be the same for the staff. We're all trying for success. It doesn't always go in a straight line. There will be bumps in the road as there has been this season.

"It's been a really challenging season on many different fronts, but we will give our all to get a positive outcome."