Howe: Listen, we'd be top with the Bots

IT already promises to be Newcastle's best season since the club won the title way back in 1926-27.

- ■by IAN MURTAGH

With their trophy drought over after winning the Carabao Cup and the Magpies in the driving seat to quality for the Champions League, the campaign will live long in the memory of the Toon Army.

But, in a message to their rivals, manager Eddie Howe reckons it would have been even better had Dutch defender Sven Botman played a more prominent role.

Botman is in the squad for only the fifth league game of the season at Brighton today and is pushing hard for a recall after 12 months of injury torment.