EDDIE HOWE WANTS CONSISTENCY FROM NEWCASTLE AFTER BIG MAN CITY PERFORMANCE
Eddie Howe warns Newcastle their Man City win "means nothing" if they fail against Marseille & Everton. Harvey Barnes' brace sealed a vital victory ahead of a crucial Champions League trip.
Newcastle's manager, Eddie Howe, cautioned his team that their uplifting victory against Manchester City will not mean much if they do not follow it up with good results against Marseille and Everton.
Howe's team broke a streak of two Premier League losses with a 2-1 win over Pep Guardiola's team at St. James' Park on Saturday night, in what was possibly their best showing of the season so far.
However, with a tough schedule that includes a Champions League game in the south of France on Tuesday night before Saturday's league game on Merseyside, head coach Howe understands that this is just the beginning.
"The real test is Marseille and Everton," he stated. "We now have to play a very tough opponent away in the Champions League, and we need to perform well.
"We will have very little rest, and that's the biggest challenge for us. Our schedule between now and the end of January is packed, so now the players have to take care of themselves; we need to regroup and continue."
Newcastle will travel with confidence after a performance that showed both their clear talent and the determination that has marked their return to prominence under Howe when they needed it most.
Harvey Barnes had already missed two great chances, and Nick Woltemade had been stopped twice by Gianluigi Donnarumma, before the former Leicester player exchanged passes with Bruno Guimarães twice before finally scoring against the Italy international after 63 minutes.
Rúben Dias scored the equaliser within five minutes as City responded, but Barnes scored the winning goal with 20 minutes left after Guimaraes was just barely played onside by Dias.
However, it was the character that Howe's team showed in defending their narrow lead until the final whistle—a period that included eight minutes of added time—that was perhaps most pleasing for the Newcastle supporters.
When asked if his team had rediscovered its edge, Howe stated, "Yes, possibly. You need that. For me, that means doing everything you can to win, so yes, I think you need a bit of fire in your game, but within the rules, of course.
"You don't want to see red cards, but you want to see us being really tough but fair in trying to do everything we can to win."
Full-backs Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento both played well on their returns to the starting line-up after injury before the former went off with cramp, but Anthony Gordon, who has been dealing with a hip problem, and fellow England international Kieran Trippier, who hurt his hamstring in training on Friday, were not in the starting eleven.
Howe stated, "Anthony is very close; he just wasn't quite ready for today. But he's working hard, and I think he'll be ready in the next few days. I'm not sure about Kieran. I'm waiting for feedback from the medical team."
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.