EDDIE Howe insists he isn't concerned about his own future and "doesn't need daily reassurances" from Newcastle United's owners on his job security, as the Magpies head for Sunderland with their head coach hoping for a win that he believes could spark their season back into life.

The first Wear-Tyne derby since 2016 comes on the back of a rotten run of six defeats in seven games for Newcastle, but Howe - who regularly speaks to club bosses - says he still feels as though he has the full support of those above him.

And he believes a positive result at the Stadium of Light on Saturday can transform the Newcastle mood and narrative.

"We (Howe and the owners) communicate all the time," he said.

"I certainly don't need daily reassurances. I feel comfortable in the fact that we are working as hard as we can to improve performances and improve results.

"Obviously I know it's a results-based business - all the usual things you'd expect me to say - but I do feel the support from the club and that's really important in this moment."

Defeats in the derby have spelled trouble for Newcastle managers in the past, but Howe said: “I am not thinking of it like that. I am thinking it is a game we have to do very well in.

"You can’t control lots of things in this job when you are in my shoes. But certainly I am looking to control what the players do."

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Newcastle have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup and Champions League in the past month as well as slipping to eighth in the Premier League table, but Howe believes a win on Wearside could spark an upturn in results for his side.

“Of course, whether kickstart the season is the right word but it can certainly reboot us and just change the external and even internal view of ourselves because it can change very quickly," he said.

“I have made reference to it many times, the Manchester United game, our best performance of the season, was not that long ago and now the view is very different on the team. Confidence is a very fragile thing for the players as well so anything that helps them re-find their best rhythm as quickly as possible is what we’re seeking.”

Asked whether there's more on the line for Newcastle than Sunderland, he said: "I can't speak for them, I can only speak for us and we know the importance of this game in the season for us so I can't downplay it.

"As much as I'd like to, I can't downplay it from where we stand today, especially after recent results so we're going to give everything we can to be at our best."