Eddie Howe has warned his Newcastle United players that this weekend’s Wear-Tyne derby must re-energize their season – but he says he can’t and won’t over-react despite the club’s dreadful run of six defeats in seven games.
Howe concedes that the confidence of his Newcastle players has suffered in recent weeks, with the Magpies’ elimination from the Champions League and Carabao Cup, as well as their drop to ninth in the Premier League rankings.
With a top-four finish looking increasingly unlikely, Newcastle will look to the FA Cup to save their season, and Howe is hoping that the magnitude of Saturday’s game will provide a much-needed spark for the Magpies.
“It has to and that was my message after the (Liverpool) match to the players,” stated the manager.
“There’s no point in overthinking what just happened.” We’ll do that in the next days. We must look ahead for the players. We must consider Sunderland. We understand how significant the game is for the city, the fans, and our season. All of our efforts are now focused on it.”
Newcastle will be without Callum Wilson at the Stadium of Light, and the forward is also expected to miss Manchester City’s visit the following weekend due to a calf injury, while Kieran Trippier is a significant doubt for the derby due to a groin ailment.
Howe believes the lengthy injury list he’s had to deal with in recent months has been the main reason for his team’s lack of form and that he will prioritize attempting to build the belief of his players in the coming days.
“They’re human beings so naturally we’re not at our most confident currently and we have to do everything we can to protect that confidence because it’s so important,” stated Brendan Rodgers, the head coach of Newcastle.
“That’s why, as I’ve said previously, I believe we can’t overreact and dramatize things. We have a big game coming up, and we need to devote all of our attention and resources to it.”
Howe claims that confidence has only recently slipped, adding, “We’ve played some brilliant football at times this year, I think if we’re going to go into the depth talk, I have to bring up injuries and the players who aren’t here.”If you take half the team from any Premier League side, you’ll see a difference over a long period of time and a month where you play every three days. We’ve been put in a difficult situation.
“The main thing I look for is dedication and effort.” We’ll be alright as long as we have that.”
