Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe makes Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur prediction

Eddie Howe has issued a warning ahead of next season following Newcastle United’s fourth-placed finish.

The club is preparing for its first Champions League campaign in 20 years after exceeding all expectations following an 11th-placed finish the season before last.

However, European football will inevitably take a toll on the club's domestic campaign, and Howe – who hopes to add a "small group" of players to his squad this summer – must manage the competing demands and push for another high Premier League finish.

And that will be a challenge for his over-achieving side if, as Howe expects, last season's under-achieving teams – notably Liverpool (5th), Tottenham Hotspur (8th) and Chelsea (12th) – "come back fighting".

"It's very difficult (to stay top four every season), but it’s not impossible," said United's head coach. "It’s about improvement – I said the same this time last year.

"People will always look at league position as the gauge for that, but we look at many other things that go into the team performance.

"We want to improve, and we have to improve quickly. Other clubs that maybe didn’t have the seasons they want will come back fighting."

'Positive' mindset

United want to be competitive in every competition next season, according to Howe.

"We need to go into next season full of positivity, and full of what can be," said Howe. "We want to compete, we want to try and win a trophy.

"So, we are very, very ambitious to move things on, but the challenges will get harder and we have to be better.

"A lot of that is going to be dictated by what we do in the window, and, obviously, our work on the training pitch. The process will not change."