Howe compares Magpies' top four fight to a League Two relegation scrap
‘I know the responsibility on me is huge’: Eddie Howe compares his job at Newcastle to fighting relegation from League Two with Bournemouth after the Magpies picked up their fifth draw in six games against his old side on Saturday
- Newcastle were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation scrappers Bournemouth
- The Magpies have now drawn five of their last six Premier League games
- Eddie Howe compared the pressures of a top four race to a relegation battle
Eddie Howe was in precisely the right place the other night to apply a little perspective to Newcastle’s difficulties, such as they are.
It feels peculiar to speak of ruts when their unbeaten streak of 17 is the longest of any club in Europe’s top five divisions. But there are two ways of looking at their current situation, which relates more directly to five draws in six league games and only three goals scored in that time.
One is to acknowledge the relative deficiencies of Tottenham, and thereby note that Newcastle have only been lightly punished for dropped points.
The other is to wonder if this period, in which Howe’s side failed to beat Leeds, Crystal Palace, West Ham and now Bournemouth, might ultimately be critical to whether they finish in the top four. If they do not, you suspect this sequence will be prominently revisited in the debrief.
But that is why it is necessary to return to the value of perspective and, from there, Howe’s ability to sail in choppy water.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle have now drawn five of their last six Premier League games
They were held to a 1-1 draw against Bouremouth on Saturday after a poor performance
At the close of a game that Bournemouth led and deserved to win, it was touching to observe the nature of the reaction he received from the home fans, who gave an immense and belated send-off to a manager who took them from the abyss at the bottom portion of League Two to the Premier League, occasionally paying bills from his own pocket.
He knows that football can offer tougher days than a few draws in the build-up to the Carabao Cup final.
‘Do you know what, the pressure is not too dissimilar,’ he said, in drawing the comparison between those early days at cash-strapped Bournemouth to now, when he has access to fortunes of Saudi Arabian money.
‘You’re desperate for points, you need to win, it is just the outcome is different. Relegation (from League Two) is not a nice thing to be fighting against but when you’re expected to win trophies and finish high in the league that is another thing that is not nice if you don’t reach your targets.
‘The pressure and the feelings are very similar. I know the responsibility on me is huge. I’m aware of the expectations and it is something you can’t think too deeply about. It is something I just try and take on every day and enjoy the challenge I have.’
It is too early to see this patch as a slump, but Howe himself has been quick to recognise that Newcastle need to hit their stride again soon.
His defence, wobbles on Saturday aside, remains the envy of the division, but it is plain to see that converting chances is at the root of Newcastle’s issue, given Miguel Almiron’s equaliser to Marcos Senesi’s opener was just about their only attack of quality.
Eddie Howe’s side are fourth in the table despite scoring just three goals in their last six games
‘The challenge for us is to find our winning feeling again,’ said Howe. ‘We’re desperate to do that and we need to be consistent with that. To reach those levels in the Premier League, we have to win and we have to win again soon.’
Bournemouth have not won in nine games in all competitions, but Saturday’s draw and the previous defeat by Brighton suggest modest progress is being made under Gary O’Neil.
He said: ‘The chances we created deserved three points. It was probably as close as Newcastle have come to losing one.’
MATCH FACTS
BOURNEMOUTH (4-4-1-1): Neto 6; Smith 6.5 (Fredericks 79min), Stephens 7, Senesi 7 (Mepham 52, 6), Zemura 6; OUATTARA 7.5 (Semenyo 79), Lerma 7, Billing 7, Anthony 6.5 (Tavernier 63, 6); Traore 7; Solanke 7. Scorer: Senesi 30.
Booked: Smith, Stephens.
Manager: Gary O’Neil 7.5.
NEWCASTLE (4-3-3): Pope 7; Trippier 6, Schar 6.5, Botman 6, Burn 6.5; Longstaff 6.5, Joelinton 7, Willock 5.5 (Gordon 35, 6); Almiron 7 (Murphy 80), Isak 6, Saint-Maximin 7 (Anderson 84). Scorer: Almiron 45+2.
Booked: Gordon, Joelinton, Botman.
Manager: Eddie Howe 6.5.
Referee: Stuart Attwell 7.
Attendance: 10,419.
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