EXPERT ANALYSIS: EDDIE HOWE IDENTIFIES "CONFIDENCE" AS THE KEY TO FIXING NEWCASTLE’S AWAY FORM
Despite a nervy second half, Eddie Howe’s side clinched their second away win of the season. Read the full Turf Moor match report.
Eddie Howe’s team barely scraped by Burnley, grabbing only their second Premier League away win this season.
The Magpies jumped ahead quickly with a goal from Joelinton at Turf Moor. Soon after, Yoane Wissa, in his debut Premier League start for the club, made it 2-0. Josh Laurent then scored an awesome volley, cutting the lead in half. Newcastle clung to their lead until Bruno Guimaraes scored a third goal during stoppage time.
It wasn't a pretty game for Newcastle United on that cold night in Lancashire. They needed those three points, especially after that tough loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Friday.
This win nudged Howe’s team into the top half of the Premier League, with Crystal Palace and Leeds United up next. But, let's be real, their play didn't exactly inspire confidence that they've turned things around away from home.
Eddie Howe shared his thoughts on Newcastle United’s win over Burnley. What’s the answer to their away game struggles? Howe thinks it boils down to ‘confidence.’
“I think we've been close before. I feel we're headed in the right direction when you look at how we’re playing, Howe said as he talked about his team’s showing.
“If you keep playing well, you’ll win. Manchester United is a good example. I don’t think we played badly, and we had chances to get more from the game. We didn't score, but we played well overall.
“I think we will win games because of the kind of play that we have, and that’s what happened. We're not feeling super confident right now, which is clear.
“But, I think it’s mostly a confidence thing. And the only way to fix that is to win the next game.”
Howe said this: “It was a huge win for us. I don't think it matters how we got it. We just needed to get it.
“We started really strong, knowing how crucial this game was. I can’t say enough about how the players fought through it.
“That second half was significant for us. We had to make it.
“I give the players credit for finishing the game and showing the team's character.”
Newcastle United now has a few days to chill after the win at Turf Moor before heading back to Tyneside for four home games in a row. First up is Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday. After that, they’re up against Daniel Farke’s Leeds United at St. James’ Park on Wednesday, January 7.
Then, they’ve got two cup games against Premier League teams. They’re hosting Bournemouth in the FA Cup and then playing the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester City.
EDDIE HOWE ADDRESSES ALAN SHEARER’S COMMENTS BEFORE TONIGHT’S MAJOR KICKOFF AT BURNLEY
Alan Shearer sets a massive challenge for Newcastle United: win the next four games to ignite their 2026 Premier League campaign.
Before tonight's game against Burnley, Alan Shearer told Newcastle United what he wants to see in the next month.
Newcastle is currently 14th in the Premier League, which isn't good enough, but there's still a lot of the season left.
Even though Eddie Howe isn't in danger of losing his job, people are still worried about how the team is playing.
Another loss at Burnley on Tuesday would really increase the pressure. Alan Shearer thinks this game could be the start of something better.
Newcastle United Needs to Win Their Next Four Games
On Match of the Day, the Newcastle United legend sounded positive about the team's next few games and & thinks this could turn their season around.
He said, Yes, this could change things. A few weeks ago, everyone thought Fulham would get demoted, but they've won three straight games, and & now they're in the top half.
Newcastle needs to do that. Their next four games are against Burnley, Palace, Leeds, and Wolves. They have a good chance to win some.
These four league games are part of a busy January for Newcastle, with important Champions League matches against PSV Eindhoven and PSG and an FA Cup game against Bournemouth, as well as the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final versus Man City.
This period of games could really make or break Newcastle's season.
He should stay until the end of the season so everyone can make a better decision instead of rushing into anything. Hopefully, there will be more choices to replace him by the summer.
Where Newcastle Could Be If They Win
Let's say Newcastle wins all four of their games. It might happen, but those 12 points might just push Newcastle to just outside the top five or six in the league.
Aston Villa could get no points during that time and still be ahead of Newcastle before they play each other at the end of January. That shows how far apart Newcastle and Aston Villa are this season.
Still, getting to 35 points before the end of next month would really help Newcastle. The teams above them will probably also get points, so Newcastle might not move up the table much, but it's important for them to catch up to their rivals soon.
NEWCASTLE STADIUM CRISIS: EDDIE HOWE ISSUES HONEST WARNING OVER HIS COACHING FUTURE NOW
Eddie Howe admits he likely won't see Newcastle’s new stadium, challenging owners to end the "limbo" and find infrastructure clarity.
Eddie Howe isn't sure he'll be around long enough to see Newcastle United get a new stadium or training ground.
Just a year back, Newcastle seemed way ahead of Manchester United, but now they're behind them in the Premier League. They could be six points back if they mess up at Old Trafford.
David Hopkinson, the new boardroom boss, wants Newcastle to be world-class by 2030, but the team might be in the Prem's bottom half in 2026.
Hopkinson said earlier in the month that Newcastle would be at St. James' Park as it has been for years, and they're working on improving the training HQ. They're already planning to fix up the Academy building next door.
Howe, who's only won six out of 17 matches this season, hinted that he might not be around for the long haul before the big game against Man United.
When asked about the club's plans to move to a new stadium and improve the facilities, Howe said it was important to get things right, even if it takes longer. The Saudi-backed PIF still hasn't made any progress with plans for a new ground, five years after the takeover.
Howe, who has at least three years left on his contract, said, If it takes extra time to make the right calls, and I'm not part of that, then so be it. Get the stadium right for Newcastle for years to come. I feel the same about the training ground. Get the right place and plans. I'd rather they got it right than rushed it. I'm pretty sure I won't see either while I'm here, but I still want to make sure it's there for the future, for fans and players.
The board knows how important it is, too. They want to do it, and they're working on it. We just need to be patient and make sure it's the right answer for everyone.
Howe even said the club's long-term plans were up in the air. He said, If you look at the club as a whole, the training ground and stadium are up in the air right now.
Figuring out what to do would be a huge step. Getting clarity and moving forward in a good way would really change things.
I'm talking about the academy, too. They do great work. If we can improve the facilities—and I don't think facilities are everything—it's a good way to set standards and show what we want to do. When that happens, it will change things. Everyone wants to make it happen.
For the team, how we play is what matters. If we can really work on our style and what we want to do, then the coaches and I can work on what we believe, and hopefully, we'll have a good run at Newcastle.
We have to work on that every day, with everything we've got. The players need to know what we want. If we do that, we'll be a better team.
As Newcastle gets ready for 2026, they'll have won a domestic trophy at St. James' Park after ending a 70-year wait. They still stand a good chance of getting into the Champions League come springtime.
Howe didn't want to get too down after a great year. The last year has been unbelievable. We finally won a trophy, and when I got here, that was the main goal—after staying in the league. Then, there's the Champions League. Being in it is a great experience, and we really want to stay in it.
Overall, it's good to step back and look at everything. It's been a great year.
But winning at Old Trafford is the only thing that will keep the critics away. About the game, Howe said, "They're doing better this year; they've improved a lot." They've been competitive, and they've got some big threats in attack.
I think it'll be a good, tough game for us. It's a good chance at Christmas to enjoy the size of these games. The atmosphere will be special. Since we haven't played them yet, I think we'll see a slightly different Man United.