Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has been speaking to the media before Wednesday’s Champions League game against Athletic Club at St. James’ Park (kick-off 20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
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On team news: “It seems like there is a bit of illness going through the squad, various players have picked something up. Sandro (Tonali) initially, Jacob Murphy, Bruno (Guimaraes), Kieran (Trippier) and we are making a decision on Bruno tomorrow. He is such an important player for us, but he’s not been himself, and that’s why he missed training today.”
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Howe confirmed they have done “a considerable amount of analysis” after the defeat by West Ham United, stating that it is “never one dimensional” and “now they have to move on.”
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On Aaron Ramsdale: “We are very pleased with his progression since he’s been here. I think we have seen good performances in training and played very well in the game. Nick [Pope] has performed consistently as well, and our defensive record has been strong this year. A couple of blips in there, but for the whole of the season, that has been our strongest point. All these decisions to make on the team and it is important that we have that strength.”
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Howe insisted the squad does not need “reminding” of the success they could achieve this season and believes they are “in the midst of games that are hugely enjoyable and challenging”. However, he acknowledged that the team remain “disappointed with their Premier League form”.
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On the lack of consistency this season: “There needs to be an understanding with new players come new expectations, and they have to become accustomed to what we do and how we play. When you play for Newcastle, you can’t have an off day mentally or physically, and if you do that in the Premier League, they will punish you. Hopefully, we are learning and developing. In saying that, there is a lot of experience on the pitch, a lot of know-how and I expected us to handle it a little bit better.”
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Howe explained the decisions to substitute Nick Woltemade and Anthony Gordon at half-time against West Ham, with the former suffering from “fatigue”. On Gordon, he added: “He’s played very well in the Champions League but hasn’t quite hit that form in the Premier League, and that’s his challenge.”
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On facing Athletic Club: “It is a really important game for us, we know what we have ahead in the Champions League. But that’s not to say this game is going to be easy either. They are a very good defensive team, they have delivered some strong performances. Our attacking has to be at its very best.”
