Eddie Howe tries to calm the situation – Not the time for shouting and screaming | OneFootball

Eddie Howe was left to reflect on yet another one that had got away.

A poor game that was only lit up by Allan Saint-Maximin’s excellent solo goal.

Newcastle United looking to have ground out this vital win, only for woeful defending to yet again produce self-inflicted harm. Two minutes of normal time remaining and a shocker from Miguel Almiron as he let his man get in a cross he should never have been able to deliver, ending up with Pedro hitting the back of the net with a header that Jamaal Lascelles should never have allowed him to win.

In six of the nine Premier League matches under Eddie Howe, Newcastle United have scored the first goal. Yet only one win (Burnley) in those six games, with draws against Watford, Brentford, Norwich and Man Utd, plus defeat to Liverpool.

This has been a season-long theme, as in total exactly half (10) of the 20 Premier League matches this season have seen Newcastle score first, but nine of the ten fail to win.

Eddie Howe can only do so much and set his team up to try and get on the front foot where possible and score first…only to be undermined by individual failings time after time.

No wonder he looked (and sounded) so gutted after this latest points give away on Saturday against Watford.

Eddie Howe:

“Hugely disappointing.

“We were so close.

“I thought we dominated the first half.

“The start of the second half we got the goal and then were probably content, not intentionally, of seeing the game out.

“I think the players were so desperate to win that they went into a little bit of protection mode and didn’t want to take too many risks.

“This allows the opposition into the game and Watford then had their best period, but we were within touching distance of a really important win, which we obviously didn’t get…

“We needed the second goal and need to keep believing it’s not over, to get more goals.

“We need to manage the game better in the last phase…I think we invited it on ourselves.

“I don’t think that it is the time for shouting and screaming and that kind of reaction, I don’t think the players would welcome that and I don’t think that would do any good.

“Apart from just airing my frustrations on them…and I don’t think that’s healthy with the current league position.

“We have damaged ourselves to a point but you always have an opportunity to bounce back.

“I think it is psychological.

“There was a thought to protect what we had so early in the game and we lost our attacking threat in the match – but that should never be the case with so long to go.

“That is linked to confidence and probably not having won as many games as we would have liked, in a long period of time (one of the last 22).

“I just hope it doesn’t leave mental scars for the players and I’m sure it won’t, because we will analyse the game, then work to try and change it.

“We still believe in ourselves and the players.

“Obviously we know that every game gets more difficult, they don’t get any any smaller, they get bigger with every match.”

Stats from BBC Sport:

Newcastle 1 Watford 1 – Saturday 15 January 3pm

Goals:

Watford:

Pedro 88

Newcastle:

Saint-Maximin 49

Possession was Watford 48% Newcastle 52%

Total shots were Watford 12 Newcastle 18

Shots on target were Watford 5 Newcastle 1

Corners were Watford 4 Newcastle 6

Crowd: 52,223 (1,200 Watford)

Referee: Paul Tierney

Newcastle United:

Dubravka, Trippier, Lascelles, Schar, Dummett, Shelvey, Sean Longstaff, Fraser (Murphy 74), Joelinton, Saint-Maximin (Almiron 86), Wood

Unused Subs:

Gillespie, Darlow, Anderson, Lewis, Krafth, Willock, Ritchie

(3 Positives and 3 Negatives from Newcastle 1 Watford 1 on Saturday – Read HERE)

(Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker discuss what went wrong for Newcastle United…for the 9th time – Read HERE)

(‘And the blame for this latest (Watford) failure is down to Allan Saint-Maximin???’ Read HERE)

HERE)

(‘My faith in Eddie Howe is now being tested’ – Read HERE)

(Claudio Ranieri reacts to Newcastle 1 Watford 1 – “I am happy…but it’s half and half” Read HERE)