EDDIE Howe believes Newcastle’s finishing position this season will be more accurate than the fourth place they “massively over-achieved” to secure 12 months ago.

The Magpies will run out at Brentford on Sunday sitting in seventh in the Premier League table and knowing they could end the campaign there, or move up or down a single place with each having different implications for their European hopes.

At the same point last season, they were celebrating a return to Champions League football after an absence of two decades, prompting their head coach to admit they had “massively over-achieved”.

Asked if their campaign was a more accurate reflection of where the club is in its development, Howe said: “I have to say it’s probably more of an accurate representation, but – and there is a but – you have to consider the injury situation which we’ve had, which isn’t an excuse, but it’s been the reality.

“It’s been very, very difficult to manage. The players who have been fit have given so much, they’ve contributed greatly to keeping our season stable and making sure we’re still progressive.

“I think it’s been a positive season overall when you look at how well we’ve done in that regard, and then you think if you can add the pieces of the team back together as near enough a healthy squad, I think we’ve got a great chance next year to build on this season.”

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Whether next season will include European football could be decided either on Sunday – they will be guaranteed a place in either the Europa League or the Europa Conference League if they can climb back above Chelsea into sixth, while seventh would see them enter the lesser competition as long as Manchester United do not win the FA Cup final.

Missing out on Europe would come as a blow for a club trying to build on and off the pitch.

However, asked if that would represent failure for the season, Howe replied: “You can bracket it any way you want to. This has been a season where it could have been so much more, and those moments will frustrate me, sure, for a long time.”

Howe will hope to have striker Callum Wilson back after injury, but is sweating on Anthony Gordon, who damaged an ankle during Wednesday night’s 3-2 defeat at Manchester United, ahead of a pivotal game.

He said: “It’s a one-off game, a cup final for us really, that’s how we have to approach it. The previous cup final we had, we didn’t win – that’s how we have to prepare for this game.

“For me, it’s a huge moment, but we can’t control the other results, we can’t control what will happen. But we can do our part and that’s the big responsibility that we must embrace.”