Newcastle manager Eddie Howe was left frustrated after another late defeat at St James’ Park, accusing his side of not being in top gear week after week.
Newcastle lose for the fifth time at home this season
Eddie Howe claimed that Newcastle’s squad did not show “signs of a first team” after the defeat to Everton at St James’s Park and lamented the team’s inconsistency.
The Magpies lost in a five-goal thriller, with Tierno Barry scoring the winning goal in their own half just a minute after Newcastle had equalized. This left Howe’s team in the bottom half of the table, and their European hopes disappeared.
Newcastle remain in the Champions League and are preparing for a place in the knockout stages against Barcelona, but they have not been able to consistently win in the Premier League. They beat the likes of Manchester City, but lost to West Ham, Brentford and Brighton as well.
Howe has regularly seen his side reach the big stage, winning last season’s Carabao Cup final, but admits it is not the hallmark of an elite team to stand up when it matters.
He said: “You can raise your level if you want, but I don’t think that’s a sign of being in the first team. You have to be at that level all the time. The Premier League is very tough. Regardless of who you play and where you play, the games are very difficult. If you miss, you will be punished.”
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“In terms of the Premier League, we haven’t been good enough for a while,” Howe added. “We know that. The responsibility is on us. It’s really frustrating for us. Unfortunately, that’s the crisis in Europe. We’ve tried to concentrate on every game, give every game the same importance and give every attention, but sometimes the flood of games can shake our concentration.”
Just a few weeks ago, Brentford came to St James’ Park and went home with three points after a five-goal battle. On that occasion, Newcastle equalized late on and looked for a winner, but were dealt a nasty punch as Dango Ouattara scored for the visitors. Howe admitted after the defeat to Everton: “I feel the same way.
Everton take the lead in a thriller at St James’ Park
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Newcastle are 12 points out of the top five and likely to miss out on Champions League qualification. During Mr Howe’s tenure there was a frustrating trend of his teams qualifying for elite European competitions every other year, hampering his ability to invest in the team.
The Magpies went back twice with Jacob Murphy scoring his second equaliser. “There’s always a time and a place for harsh words, and let’s take a breather here. Let’s all reflect and reflect. First and foremost, we know where mistakes were made and we have to move forward and correct them. We can’t get overly emotional every time something doesn’t go our way. That will only cause panic, and that’s what we’re trying to avoid,” he said.
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