Former Newcastle United defender makes 'sensational' Eddie Howe claim after consecutive defeats at Chelsea, Everton and Tottenham

That’s according to former Magpies defender Gary Caldwell, who believes Howe should be in the conversation for the Premier League's Manager of the Season award come May.

The former AFC Bournemouth boss has helped Newcastle climb from the foot of the table to nine points clear of the relegation zone. A nine game unbeaten run, Newcastle’s longest in the top flight in over a decade, and a return of 19 points out of a possible 21 between January and March saw Howe lead The Magpies to a relatively comfortable position in the table.

But 1-0 defeats at Chelsea and Everton followed by a 5-1 thrashing at Tottenham Hotspur has halted Newcastle’s momentum going into the final eight matches of the campaign.

In spite of this, Caldwell – who started his professional career at Newcastle but didn’t make a competitive appearance – believes Howe has done ‘a sensational job’ on Tyneside so far.

"He should be in the manager of the year bracket in my opinion," he said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"The club was on its knees before Christmas and relegation seemed a certainty.

"Howe has recruited well for what they needed. He has coached players and given them a structure that's allowed them to win enough to move away from trouble. He's done a sensational job."

Newcastle now face a run of three consecutive home matches starting with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday (8pm kick-off) as they look to get back to winning ways and confirm Premier League safety.

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