Eddie Howe has hit back at the critics who wrote-off Newcastle's season last month.
The Magpies boss admits his side were fair game for the cynics after going into the international break with their hopes of halting the club's lengthy wait for major silverware ended after being dumped out of the FA Cup by Manchester City.
Sixth-round defeat to Pep Guardiola's cup holders added to the descending gloom on Tyneside. A run of three wins in 11 league games left Howe's injury-ravaged side out of contention to seal back-to-back Champions League qualification and struggling even to secure the return of any kind of European football next season.