LONDON: Eddie Howe said qualifying for Europe was a 鈥渄riving force鈥� for Newcastle as he prepares for Wednesday鈥檚 pivotal Premier League match against Manchester United.
Howe鈥檚 men are sixth in the table, two places and three points better off than their hosts with two games to go for each team.
Chelsea are in seventh place on 57 points 鈥� the same as Newcastle.
As it stands, the team in sixth place at the end of the season will earn a spot in the UEFA Conference League, the third-tier European competition.
But if Manchester City beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final, the sixth-placed team would qualify for the Europa League and the side in seventh would enter the Conference League.
鈥淢assive fixture for both teams,鈥� Howe said at his pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 coming to the end of a long season for both clubs. We鈥檙e desperate to do well in the game, we鈥檙e desperate to finish as high as we can.
鈥淲e know European competition is there but it can also be a long way away if we don鈥檛 get the results we need.鈥�
The Newcastle boss said his team were embracing the pressure after recovering from a poor start to the season and a damaging run of losses in December and January.
Howe, whose team flopped in this season鈥檚 Champions League, said it was vital for Saudi-backed Newcastle to be in Europe.
鈥淲e need to be there as a football club,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a driving force for us. We鈥檒l embrace the extra games, the travel, the experience, everything about the competition. We feel we鈥檙e in a position to do it.鈥�
Howe said he was anxious not to underestimate misfiring United despite their poor form as Newcastle seek their first league double against the 20-time English champions since the 1930/31 season.
鈥淲e can鈥檛 underestimate the challenge in front of us,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hat would be foolish. That would counteract everything that we need to be in this game.
鈥淚 think we don鈥檛 underestimate Manchester United鈥檚 qualities, we don鈥檛 underestimate the magnitude of the game.
鈥淲e are preparing for a really tough match. We know it will be and we expect a good atmosphere.鈥�
Forwards Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson are doubts for the match at Old Trafford after suffering from illness and neither trained on Monday.
Howe said it was 鈥渇ingers crossed鈥� Isak would train on Tuesday.
On Wilson, he added: 鈥淲e鈥檒l see. We haven鈥檛 seen Callum yet, so we鈥檒l see if he鈥檚 available to train today. If not, then I鈥檓 sure he鈥檒l be fit for Brentford.鈥�
Newcastle have confirmed they will travel to Japan for a pre-season tour to face Urawa Red Diamonds on July 31 and Yokohama F. Marinos at the Japan National Stadium three days later.