Eddie Howe has stated that he did not want Newcastle to travel on their post-season vacation to Australia.
Howe has added to England manager Gareth Southgate’s concerns as the Magpies prepare to travel halfway around the world to face Tottenham Hotspur as part of a two-game trip at the end of May.
Howe’s squad is scheduled to fly to Melbourne for the prestige friendly three days after their last Premier League game of the season against Brentford.
Southgate has already expressed concerns about burnout among Newcastle and Tottenham players vying for a spot in his squad for the European Championships this summer.
Kieran Trippier and Anthony Gordon want to make the final cut for the Euro 24 finals in Germany in June.
Both clubs have agreed to take complete squads on the 21,000-mile round trip, and Howe is concerned about the additional expectations placed on his players at the end of a season marred by important player injuries.
When asked if he wanted to depart, the Newcastle manager replied, ‘I don’t think it’s anything that being honest in my situation says I want to go. This is something we would probably not want to accomplish physically after such a long season.
Spurs will return to the UK following the game, but Newcastle will stay for an exhibition match against the A-League All Stars on May 24. The next week, England will begin their pre-Euros camp with a friendly against Bosnia on June 3 at St James’ Park.
Howe is willing to set his misgivings aside in order to participate in friendlies that will increase money for the club while also raising Newcastle’s global profile.
He continued, ‘I understand the club’s position, and we will support it. If the club says we’re going, I’m completely on board with everyone else.
‘There are multiple lines of thinking here. We must behave in the best interests of the football club, and we are sometimes directed to perform specific things.
‘You do that with the best interests of the club in mind.
‘We respect the club and the responsibilities that the club places on us, and we must stay up with all the club wants to do. them, when we are requested to do such things, we will do them with the nicest attitude possible.
