Michael Owen delivers ‘special’ Newcastle United verdict as ex-striker changes his tune

Former Newcastle United striker Michael Owen has backed his old club to get over the line and into a European competition for next season. The Toon Army have slipped down a place to 4th in the Premier League after their 3-0 loss to Aston Villa last time out.

Eddie Howe’s side are back in action on Sunday afternoon at home to Tottenham Hotspur. They head into that clash three points above their opponents with a game in-hand on them still.

Owen, now 43, spent four years as a player at Newcastle and scored 30 goals in 79 games for the North East club in all competitions. He also had spells at Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Stoke City before hanging up his boots in 2013.

Asked whether he believes the Magpies will get into Europe, he told AceOdds: “Oh yeah, I do. I mean, they’ve got a decent sized squad. It’s not like they’re in European competition. They’re not in any of the cups now. They’re fully focused just on the Premier League.

“So very soon, it’s basically going to be one game a week. You’re not going to have to rotate and rest and things like that. There’s only nine or ten games to go of the season. And there’s still eight weeks to go or something.

“So it’s not a crowded schedule for them. They’re definitely going to have the freshness to keep going. And they’ve got the ability, they’ve got the players, they’ve got the fan base, they’ve got the manager, it feels like there’s something special brewing up there.”

He added: “So they’ve definitely got the means to qualify in the top four. In fact, I think they will be in the top four by the end of the season. They had a little wobble, but did you see the fixtures around that time? I mean, they were playing a lot of really tough games. Now I’d be very positive towards Newcastle.”

Newcastle have had a very impressive season and will be desperate to get into the top four now. They have a big summer ahead as well as they look to further bolster their ranks and add some more depth into their squad.