Eddie Howe knows that his Newcastle United team have to be more clinical when they face Bournemouth this weekend, a rallying cry that the Magpies boss has made on several occasions this season. After the top-flight draw vs the Cherries nearly six months ago, Howe fired a warning shot to his squad.
Eddie Howe said: “Disappointing today. Below the levels we set ourselves for the first time this season. I felt we played in front of them too much. They defended deep and it was our responsibility to deal with that. There’s a big sense of frustration in terms of the points we have. But the reality is we haven’t won the games we should have. A lot of games with clear-cut chances and we weren’t clinical enough.”
Since then, Newcastle have rocketed up the table and find themselves in the dizzying heights of the Champions League places. However, a run of one win in their last five games has seen the Magpies’ momentum halt somewhat. And Howe’s comments after the 1-1 draw vs West Ham on Saturday painted a very similar picture to the one back in September.
Eddie Howe said: “I don’t think we were bad in the first half, but we didn’t keep up our momentum. I don’t think we stamped our authority on the game, they scored a poor goal from our high standards. In the second half we wanted to re-establish intensity. We did that for the majority of the half, we had possession and chances, but didn’t take that chance.”
Howe will not be too concerned about Newcastle’s inability to find a killer instinct in their last few games just yet, as he knows how quickly momentum can build.
