REF CONTROVERSY: EDDIE HOWE FUMES OVER "UNFAIR" DECISIONS IN 2-1 LOSS TO CITY
Man City wins again! Discover why Eddie Howe is frustrated with the officials and how Nico O'Reilly's brace sank Newcastle.
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Manchester City edged out Newcastle United 2-1 at the Etihad on Saturday night, and honestly, Eddie Howe looked frustrated after the final whistle. He felt his team deserved a bit more.
City took control in the first half, with Nico O’Reilly grabbing both their goals, one on each side of Lewis Hall’s deflected strike for Newcastle. After that, City just managed the game, saw out the second half, and picked up their 17th home win in a row against the Magpies in the Premier League.
This loss snapped Newcastle’s streak of three away wins, and they’re still sitting 10th in the table with 11 matches to go.
After the match, Howe was quick to praise his players’ effort. “The lads gave everything physically today,” he said. “It’s been a really tough run of fixtures for us, not just this week. Every time we step on the pitch, I want them to give absolutely everything to win. I can’t fault that today everyone left it all out there. I thought we played with a clear plan and a good style. We executed most of it well, apart from a couple of moments. The goals we conceded – those were down to individual mistakes; we just didn’t defend well enough.”
He admitted chasing a game at the Etihad is never easy. “It’s tough to do here, but I’m pleased with the effort,” he said.
But the frustration wasn’t just about the result. Newcastle had a goal chalked off for offside. Dan Burn got shoved by Ruben Dias into an offside position, but the flag still went up. And Burn took a nasty challenge from Bernardo Silva, who was already on a yellow, but somehow avoided another booking.
“I only saw the offside still frame, so I missed the push,” Howe said. “I don’t think we got the right end of the decisions today. I’m not someone who likes to blame officials all the time, but I do think things didn’t go our way again.”
Asked if he’d look for answers about the disallowed goal, Howe was honest: “I don’t know the rule there. I haven’t seen the push; if that’s what happened, I’ll look into it.”
In the end, City took the points and closed the gap on Arsenal to just two. Newcastle are left wondering what might have been.
EDDIE HOWE REMAINS "100% COMMITTED" DESPITE CEO HOPKINSON’S CRYPTIC "FUTURE TALK" COMMENTS
Howe reveals "no falling out" with Newcastle board. Get the latest on injury updates and the Crystal Palace clash.
Eddie Howe didn’t dodge the topic of his future at Newcastle United after CEO David Hopkinson’s recent comments. Hopkinson spoke up after Newcastle’s loss to Sunderland, saying they don’t plan to make a change “at the moment,” but left things a little open-ended with, “we’ll talk about the future when it’s time.”
How’s the answer? He’s all in. “Nothing’s changed for me, I’m 100% committed to the job,” he told the press ahead of their match against Crystal Palace. “That’s never wavered. I worked right through the break to get us ready, and I want us coming back stronger.”
He didn’t get too deep into what might happen next season or beyond, just like Hopkinson, really. Instead, Howe focused on what’s left of this campaign. “It’s tough to look too far ahead these days. I’m just focused on these last seven games. We want to play at our best and finish the season strong,” he said.
He pointed out that the year had been a whirlwind. “Honestly, we hadn’t trained with a full squad of 20 players since August. That’s a first for me. However, we now have the numbers back in training, and the sessions have been refreshing. I’ve really enjoyed it.”
As for the mood behind the scenes, Howe says everything’s steady between him and the club’s leadership, despite a slightly different tone from Hopkinson lately compared to earlier in the year. “There’s no falling out. I’ve got a really good relationship with Ross [Wilson] and David,” he explained. “We’re all planning how to move Newcastle forward, making smart decisions together.”
He still feels well supported. “They’re the main people I work with every day, and we’re on the same page about what the club needs to do. The future looks strong for Newcastle. Honestly, we’re probably ahead of where most people expected us to be, even with the bumps we’ve hit recently. We need to be smart, get the most out of our budget, and keep pushing to hit the goals everyone’s set for us.”
When asked what he needs from the club, Howe kept it simple: support and good working relationships. “I want to be able to show the best version of myself as a manager. If I feel that and the club feels that, they get the best from me.”
He made one thing clear above all: the club comes first. “If, for any reason, it’s not working for either side, then what matters most is Newcastle United. Not me or anyone else. That’s always at the heart of any decision I make.”
NEWCASTLE RETURN TO ACTION AT CRYSTAL PALACE AMID INTENSE EDDIE HOWE RUMOURS
Newcastle return to face Crystal Palace. Discover the latest on Eddie Howe's job and Tonali's potential move to Man Utd.
Newcastle are finally back after what feels like an endless three-week break, heading to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace. That time off might have given everyone a chance to catch their breath, but let’s be honest, the break just stirred up more questions and a bit of restlessness around the club.
It’s been three weeks since that heavy loss to Sunderland at St James' Park. Now, Newcastle have to put the pieces back together as they travel to South London and try to get their season back on track. They’re still four points from a European spot, and with only seven games left, closing that gap is pretty much a must if they want to play European football next year.
But rumours are circling about Eddie Howe’s future hard to imagine when you remember he ended a 70-year trophy drought and took Newcastle to the Champions League twice. Still, this year’s Premier League run has people asking tough questions. Right now, Newcastle sit 12th, and, excuses aside, nobody at the club thinks that’s good enough, given their ambitions and the squad they’ve put together.
Last week, CEO David Hopkinson didn’t exactly clear things up about Howe. While it sounds like Howe still has support from the top, everyone knows these next seven games are crucial. Hopkinson also hinted that the club is more open to selling a key player this summer if the right offer comes. No dragging out any deals like Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool last year.
Tino Livramento and Sandro Tonali might be the biggest targets. Livramento still hasn’t signed a new contract, something Ross Wilson flagged as a priority months ago, and both Manchester City and Arsenal are watching him closely. Tonali, meanwhile, reportedly has interest from Manchester United and others. There’s also noise around Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes, and Lewis Hall, but if the club offloads anyone big, Livramento and Tonali seem most likely.
That makes Newcastle’s summer plans even more interesting. They’re eyeing a keeper, a right-back, a midfielder, and a forward. Sunday's lineup against Palace might tell us something about what’s coming. Kieran Trippier already announced he’s leaving, so if he starts over Livramento, it might give away some of the club’s thinking.
On top of that, Newcastle could finally have six fit midfielders again if Bruno Guimaraes and Lewis Miley return. If Tonali gets left out of the midfield, that might say something about his future, too.
These last seven matches are all about staying locked in. Newcastle have to get everyone pulling in the same direction if they want to chase down those European places. Any off-field distractions need to get out of the way. Now’s not the time to lose focus.
