Howe was appointed as the boss at St. James Park in November but had to miss out on being in the dugout for his first game after contracting covid and the match ended in 3-3 draw.
The Magpies face the same opponents this weekend, but in very contrasting form as Howe’s side are unbeaten in six while the Bees have taken only one point from their last seven league games.
Howe admitted that not being on the sidelines in the reverse fixture earlier in the season against the Bees was a dreadful time and was the worst way to spend 90 minutes.
The Magpies manager complemented Bees boss Thomas Frank for the job he has done at Brentford but stressed that his side are looking to maintain their form.
“That was the worst 90 minutes of my life in terms of not being in control in the stadium”, Howe said in a press conference ahead of the game against Brentford about missing out on the fixture earlier in the season.
“Thomas Frank has done very well with Brentford and we don’t underestimate them.
“We expect a tough game but we must maintain our standards.”
The Bees are only two points ahead of the Magpies and with a win Howe’s side can overtake them to move further ahead of the pack in relegation trouble.
