Eddie Howe offered an explanation for Newcastle United’s poor 3-1 defeat at Fulham, admitting that the squad has “work to do” ahead of important games against Wimbledon and Manchester City. Newcastle started the game poorly at Craven Cottage and were unable to recover from a 2-0 deficit. Lacking intensity, organisation, and determination, Fulham dominated individual battles throughout the match.
In trying to explain the defeat,
Eddie Howe said “With the first half, we were too reactive. Fulham played well and it was difficult for us. We conceded a really poor first goal and I think whenever you go away from home, if you give the opposition some help and a stimulus, it is difficult. The crowd are then in the game. That first half was tough. We responded really well in the second half and chased the game effectively until the end. We need to reflect on that and analyse it properly.”
Howe was asked if “big-name” players like Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak, and Kieran Trippier had failed to deliver. He responded:
Eddie Howe said “From my perspective, you analyse everyone fairly and independently. There are no big-name stars within the group. Everyone is contributing the same effort. You need your players to play well to win games and clearly that wasn’t the case today, especially the first half.”
Howe also acknowledged the team’s poor defensive performance:
Eddie Howe said“Today was the worst we have played, especially in that first half. The second half was much better. In the other games, we have not been perfect because we had solidity and resilience. Defensively, we were not good enough. We will take it on the chin. We know that, and we will go away to do the work to put it right.”
When asked about Bruno Guimaraes apologising to the supporters after the game, Howe said:
Eddie Howe said“I didn’t see that. We take it together. It’s as easy as that.”
