by Eddie Howe is very good at showing the world a flawless poker face and it certainly came in handy as he prepared for Saturday’s potentially season-defining FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City.
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Until recently it was big news for Newcastle fans to point out that their team manager might not be able to walk across the river Tyne. But, almost imperceptibly, Howe has lost his immunity from criticism.
He claimed that his weekly media address on Friday was dominated by not only the defensive disintegration that has seen Newcastle slip to 10th in the Premier League but growing discontent among some supporters, although far away.
When Howe was told that his side’s 3-2 win at Chelsea last Monday night had sparked an outpouring of anger from die-hard fans on social media, he remained typically unflappable, barely he was teasing a facial muscle with the idea that his players were “flawless parts”.
“Am I surprised?” said the Newcastle manager. “It’s not. We are in a results-based business and I was not happy after the game. I was angry. There was a lot of internal thinking, but opening myself up about it wouldn’t help me or the players. I mean make sure I look at things objectively.
“Yes [the criticism] It’s not nice to hear, especially after what we stood for last season, but I understand emotional responses. Now it’s up to us to answer them.”
Although Howe never publicly criticizes players, his deliberate rejection of such, arguably unsophisticated, exaggerations may reflect a less-than-flattering private view of a struggling team. to replicate the consistency that inspired fourth place last season.
If there is a significant reduction in injuries, the hot weather training camp behind closed doors in Dubai Newcastle is clearly needed immediately after the tie with City will be nothing short of spectacular.
“I love my players,” Howe said. “I want to help them in every way in their lives and careers but behind the scenes I let them know in no uncertain terms if I’m not happy and they need to do more.”
The mood on the flight to the United Arab Emirates will be dictated by the result against Pep Guardiola’s side. A semi-final – and possibly a final – at Wembley could change the situation. Also, it would make recent flickers a concern for the boardroom.
Howe will know that shortly after the defeat to Chelsea, Newcastle’s minority co-owner Jamie Reuben posted a message on social media containing the words “disappointed at the result”. It’s safe to assume that the club’s Riyadh-based Saudi overlords would have noticed.
Given Reuben’s main aim was to thank traveling supporters, it had to be seen in context but, nevertheless, it added to the pressure on the manager to choreograph a strong finish to the rollercoaster campaign.
“I don’t think this season is all about the FA Cup,” said Howe. “We are still very much in the hunt to try and push into Europe through the league.”
There will certainly be a need to tighten up the backline to win the “Gulf derby” against the Abu Dhabi-owned City who, in the Premier League, have conceded as many away goals as Sheffield United (32) this season.
Unfortunately for Howe, Newcastle chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan does not draw comparisons with Sheffield United owner Prince Abdullah, a compatriot from Saudi Arabia. When Rumayyan makes no secret of his ambition to make his club “one” it seems everyone at Bramall Lane is resigned to relegation.
Newcastle have no such worries but former Liverpool defender turned TV and newspaper Jamie Carragher has claimed their players are almost ready for their summer holidays.
“I don’t like to hear that,” Howe said, scoffing for a moment. “He’s entitled to his opinion but that’s not how we are internally. Our training standards and rigor are still there. We are determined to end the season well – whatever tomorrow may bring.”
However, the once famous intensity of Newcastle yes greatly reduced. The fear is that, in the process, the team’s identity is also being lost. “The inconsistency is very frustrating,” Howe said. “When you went to watch Newcastle last year you knew you were going to see a very competitive, aggressive, strong and consistent team.
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“This year was a little different: we were inconsistent. We were just the same; we didn’t manage to keep our rhythm. That’s what we’re looking for, that identity you can count on.”
Howe rejects suggestions that the FA Cup can represent a final push for his side’s bottom line. “I don’t see a way we can do an overhaul in the summer,” he said. “It’s almost impossible because of financial balance rules. Any player we lose from our squad must be replaced. It costs a lot of money to find elite Premier League players. I’m sure there will be a trade, but I’m not sure how much.”
All available indicators suggest that Howe is at low risk of being sacked this summer but the manager’s relationship with Newcastle’s new sporting director Paul Mitchell, who recently left the same role at Monaco, is high on shortlisted to replace Manchester-bound Dan Ashworth – will be vital to his medium to long-term future.
Howe could do to start that bonding process from the strong position traditionally held by FA Cup winning managers.
