ED'S A FAN OF TOON FAITHFUL

EDDIE HOWE admitted he would not be surprised if Newcastle fans had taken out their frustration on him and his players after some poor performances this season.

- BY LEE RYDER

But the Newcastle boss heaped praise on the Toon faithful and said their backing has kept the players in position to turn around their bad start, beginning with a home game against Nottingham Forest tomorrow.

Despite suffering some tough defeats this season, Howe and his players have gone off to a standing ovation.

Howe said: "It is never lost on me, the response to disappointing results is fundamentally important, not just to me, but to the players.

"As much as defeats pain me - it is the worst a manager can feel - you want to thank everybody who has come to support us, then put the defeat into context.

"All I ever ask is that the supporters give the players every ounce while the game is going on.