Premier League table since Eddie Howe's Newcastle United appointment shushes big six claims

A month after the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia completed their majority takeover, those in charge turned to Howe in a bid to retain to their Premier League status.

At first, it looked touch and go but Howe, through recruiting the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn, as well as getting the best out of existing players who were previously written off, steered the Magpies away from danger.

The upward protectory didn’t stop there and through more clever recruitment - namely Nick Pope, Sven Botman and Alexander Isak - Howe took the side from relegation candidates to qualifying for the Champions League and reaching a cup final in the space of 18 months.

Progress has perhaps slowed in the last 12 months (you can thank PSR for that!) but Newcastle have become a team that can consistently compete against the so-called ‘big six’. At least on the pitch, anyway, until commercial revenues are significantly bolstered.

“It feels good to still be here! Because when you come in you’re never sure how things are going to go,” Howe said recently. “You come in with the best intentions, lots of dreams and emotions.

“There is uncertainties and insecurities because you’re going into the unknown - lots of challenges awaited us at that moment. The first priority, of course, was to stay in the league and that was the only thing that consumed me in that moment.

“We got through a lot of working trying to make certain changes but also trying to get the best out of what was already here.

“When you look back at the three years as a whole, I think back to lots of positive memories, lots of good feelings and I am so pleased with how it has gone. I am thrilled to still be sat in the position and still dreaming of what may lie ahead.

“You always want more and not entirely satisfied because we haven’t got the one thing we wanted when coming in which is a trophy. That’s the dream and still is the dream, and that is still driving us.”

How would the Premier League table look if it was based on results during Howe's St James Park reign? NewcastleWorld investigates...