Les Ferdinand believes his old club Newcastle United should be confident in Eddie Howe's ability to take them forward.
It has been a mixed campaign for Newcastle, who have endured a difficult start to 2026.
A damaging run at the end of January and the start of this month saw the Magpies lose four out of five games.
However, a streak of three straight wins, all on the road, in three different competitions, has seen them regain momentum.
A 6-1 thrashing of Qarabag on Wednesday saw Newcastle put one foot into the last 16 of the Champions League, while they head into the weekend in 10th place in the Premier League.
Saturday's trip to Manchester City presents a stern test, with Howe's team losing at the Etihad Stadium earlier in the month in the EFL Cup semi-finals, but Ferdinand believes talk of Howe having taken Newcastle as far as he can is wide of the mark.
He told Stats Perform: "I think it's a bit unfair to say at this moment in time.
"They made some signings in the summer that haven't quite hit the ground running. But typically with Eddie's signings, they take a little while to adjust to the way he does things and the way the team do things.
"Perhaps we haven't seen the best of the players that he's brought into the club, function and so on. Listen, I think we're in an era now, if a manager's had three games without a win and everyone thinks we should be changing and things are going wrong.
"Eddie's done an absolutely phenomenal job at Newcastle and deserves the opportunity."
Anthony Gordon netted four goals against Qarabag, though he was involved in some drama as he argued with Kieran Trippier over who would take Newcastle's second penalty of the night, with the forward having already netted another spot-kick.
"I understand everyone's opinion, we're a team and we should be in it together. We all want to succeed. But I'm the penalty taker and I want to score as many goals as I can," Gordon told TNT Sports.
"Emotions do get high, but he's one of my closest team-mates – he's done so much for me."
Gordon is just the second Englishman to reach double figures for goals in a single Champions League campaign, after Harry Kane in 2024-25 (11).
He also scored the fastest ever hat-trick by an English player, and by a player for an English club, in Champions League history.
"Records are nice, but I just want to win games," he added. "We've won the game convincingly and I'd say it was our best performance of the season.
"I'm so proud of everyone. Football's a highly emotional game, and so fickle – people get so high and so low on you, depending on your form.
"To go from what we went through to a position where we are now, it's really important. We've got to keep it going, keep the momentum, because it can go the other way really fast."
Qarabag 1-6 Newcastle
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) February 18, 2026
Newcastle have one foot (and four toes) in the round of 16.
Across 90 minutes, the Magpies generated 5.4 expected goals, a total only bettered this season by Liverpool (5.9) in their Champions League encounter with … Qarabag. pic.twitter.com/1UlC4OksUT
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester City – Phil Foden
Phil Foden set up Erling Haaland's goal in the victory over Fulham, and has now been involved in 99 Premier League goals (68 goals, 31 assists).
The England international could be the sixth Man City player to 100 goal involvements in the competition, while he would be the 18th youngest to the milestone overall if he manages the feat on Saturday.
Aged 25 years and 269 days on the day of the game, he would be the second-youngest to the 100-club for Man City, only behind team-mate Haaland (24y 237d).
Newcastle United – Harvey Barnes
Barnes scored both of Newcastle’s goals in their 2-1 Premier League win over Man City in the reverse fixture.
The last Magpies player to score home and away against the Citizens in the same league season was Alan Shearer in 2004-05.
MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY WIN
Recent history suggests this result will only go one way, and that is with City winning again.
They are unbeaten in their last 21 Premier League home games against Newcastle, winning each of the last 16.
In English top-flight history, only Everton have had a longer winning home run against an opponent – the Toffees managed 22 against Fulham between 1961 and 2018.
City have also won their last six Premier League home games against Newcastle without conceding, only against Stoke City have they had a longer run in their top-flight history (seven between 1982 and 2014).
But having beaten City at St. James' Park, Newcastle are looking to complete their first league double over them since the 1983-84 second-tier campaign, and first in the top-flight since 1955-56.
City clearly have Newcastle's number, however, after a 2-0 and 3-1 victory in the two-legged EFL Cup semi-finals this year.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Manchester City win – 58.3%
Draw – 21.7%
Newcastle United win – 20%