EDDIE HOWE admits his Newcastle United side are still striving to find a level of consistency in their away performances that will enable them to make significant strides up the Premier League table.

Newcastle head to the City Ground this afternoon to take on a Nottingham Forest side who have made a flying start to the season, and who started the weekend sitting in third position.

The Magpies, on the other hand, are in the bottom half, with their away form having been the key factor holding them back. Eddie Howe’s side have won just one of their five league games on the road so far this term.

Last season, Newcastle’s struggles away from Tyneside cost them a place in Europe, and Howe admits his side are still trying to rediscover the kind of away consistency that enabled them to finish in the top four two seasons ago.

“Our away performances have been a slightly mixed bag,” admitted the Newcastle boss. “So, the consistency hasn't been absolutely what we want it to be.

“The Fulham game is a standout negative for me, where we didn't perform at any level. I think the other games we've seen really good bits within the games and then some inconsistent moments within the same game.

“And I think to win on the road, you have to have that solidity and that energy and everything that we always speak about in terms of our best performances, we need to see it there right from minute one, especially against the teams that are in form and doing well.”

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Newcastle head to the City Ground on the back of a good week-and-a-half that has seen them qualify for the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup and beat Arsenal in the league at St James’ Park.

At home, Howe’s side have shown signs of reproducing some of the key qualities that have secured them considerable success during the head coach’s three-year tenure. Translating that to away matches is now the key challenge.

“We're searching for that, of course,” said Howe. “And there's a lot that goes into it. We're looking to get the right balance in the team.

“Certainly, in previous seasons we've done that, in the Champions League season I think we found a formula where we were the same team regardless of where we played, we had the same characteristics and we really need to discover that quickly this season in order to have the season that we want.”