Howe Emulates Robson And Keegan Principles At Newcastle United

Eddie Howe has underlined that Newcastle United’s style is built on the ideas of Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan, as a crucial Champions League home match against PSV approaches, with Newcastle chasing top-four progress in Europe and still close to the Premier League’s leading group.

Newcastle sit eighth in the Premier League, three points away from the top four, after a league draw against Wolves on Sunday followed a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the EFL Cup semi-final first leg, a result that checked momentum after earlier progress in domestic and European competitions.

In the new Champions League league phase, Howe’s side are 12th, two points short of the automatic qualification places in the top eight, with two matchdays remaining, and the PSV

meeting offers a chance to climb, strengthen qualification hopes and restore confidence following mixed recent performances in other competitions.

Newcastle’s recent European record at St. James’ Park is strong, with two consecutive Champions League home wins and clean sheets, contrasting with the club’s earlier history in the competition, when only two clean sheets were recorded in the first 13 home matches at the stadium at this level.

Competition	Stage	Position / Result	Key Detail
Premier League	Current season	8th	Three points off top four
Champions League	League phase	12th	Two points behind top eight
Champions League	Recent home games	2 wins	Both with clean sheets
EFL Cup	Semi-final, first leg	0-2 vs Manchester City	Newcastle trailing in tie

The PSV clash continues a long-running European rivalry, as this is the third different campaign featuring Newcastle and the Dutch club, with PSV winning both group games in the 1997-98 Champions League, before Newcastle edged a 3-2 aggregate victory in the 2003-04 UEFA Cup quarter-final, drawing 1-1 away, then winning 2-1 at home.

Back in #UCL action tomorrow pic.twitter.com/d9j4KnxSlZNewcastle United (@NUFC) January 20, 2026

Newcastle United identity under Eddie Howe

Howe has faced scrutiny for tactical choices in recent weeks, yet the manager continues to stress an attacking approach that respects club traditions, saying Newcastle supporters expect front-foot football built on effort and structure, while also acknowledging how Keegan’s more expansive style shaped expectations at St. James’ Park over earlier eras.

Howe referenced Robson’s influence when describing his philosophy, stating: "I am very aware of the history with Sir Bobby [Robson]. The values he stood for: hard work, good organisation, always going to the end and never giving up," said Howe, and added that these ideas guide the current squad’s work on matchdays and training.

Newcastle now enter the PSV match balancing league ambitions, an EFL Cup deficit and European qualification targets, with Howe aiming for a performance that reflects Robson’s work ethic and Keegan’s attacking intent, while a positive result would strengthen the club’s Champions League position and help stabilise form across all current competitions.