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- Coach admits he鈥檚 not 鈥榥aive鈥� to increasing pressure amid poor start to the season
- Magpies winless in three since opening day thumping of Aston Villa
BRIGHTON: 鈥淲e will bounce back.鈥� The message from the Newcastle United boardroom is loud and clear.
Despite three losses in four Premier League games, the Magpies鈥� hierarchy are relaxed about coach Eddie Howe鈥檚 side鈥檚 current slump in form.
Within minutes of the final whistle sounding on England鈥檚 south coast, following a dismal 3-1 loss to Brighton, Newcastle co-owner Jamie Reuben had taken to X, formerly Twitter, to back Howe and his players. He also made sure to mention fellow co-owner Mehrdad Ghodoussi in the message.
鈥淣ot the result we wanted 鈥� thank you to the incredible @NUFC fans who travelled so far and made their voices heard throughout. Credit to @OfficialBHAFC. We will bounce back. #WeAreUnited@ghodoussi,鈥� Reuben posted.
The speed at which the co-owner jumped to the defence of Howe and his struggling squad was not lost on the Magpies鈥� fanbase, who are justifiably asking serious questions about the team鈥檚 direction, following their third straight Premier League loss.
Hopes had been high this campaign, and optimism has largely reigned supreme on Tyneside.
From the inside stories of the Amazon documentary, to dreams of European away trips for the first time in more than a decade and a near $150 million transfer spend, the summer has been one of forward thinking. Sadly, performances on the pitch have not met the increased expectation.
It took until March for Howe鈥檚 men to lose three matches last season. This time around, they have done it in the first week of September. While no one is panicking yet, the clamour to book flights and hotels following the remarkable Champions League draw on Thursday evening sits rather strangely in a season when Newcastle are playing like a side who look nowhere near the best England has to offer on the European stage.
Forwards at Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan will certainly be licking their lips at the type of defending on show against Brighton, where Irish teenager Evan Ferguson bagged an impressive hat-trick before Callum Wilson added a consolation.
鈥淚 am very realistic. Of course, there are concerns when you are not winning and have lost three in a row. I am not naive to that,鈥� said Howe, whose side鈥檚 next game, on Sept. 17, is at St James鈥� Park against Brentford.
鈥淵ou have factors and reasons, the fixture list was very tough for us. My job is to be calm and analyse where we can better, then go to work on where we can get better.鈥�
Howe continued: 鈥�(It was a) tough result for us. Could have been very different and in the early stages of the game we had some good chances. We didn鈥檛 take them and the goals we conceded especially the first were tough.
鈥淚 would probably say the first goal is key in any game. It dented our confidence, especially after last week. Not just the goal the manner of the goal was messy from our perspective.
鈥淔rom then on the game was probably not the game we wanted it to be, the second goal. It came when we were fighting to get back into the game, the subs came on and made a difference and then out of nothing they score again.鈥�
One area of criticism, highlighted by experts, pundits and fans alike, is the Newcastle midfield. This team, built on intensity, seems to have lost a little of what made it great last season, even with the addition of former AC Milan favorite Sandro Tonali.
鈥淚 think it鈥檚 in its infancy, that has to be noted,鈥� said Howe, leaping to the defence of his central unit鈥檚 recent performances.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that鈥檚 necessarily a criticism of any one of those players but it鈥檚 a new-look midfield and that takes time to build the relationships where it鈥檚 automatic.鈥�
The Magpies suffered another major injury blow with the news that Joe Willock, out since May with a hamstring problem, will miss at least another seven games with a new issue.
Willock was again absent from the United squad at the Amex Stadium, and will likely be unavailable until mid-October due to an Achilles injury, the second recovery setback the former Arsenal midfielder has suffered in the last four months.
鈥淚ndividually they鈥檙e all top, top players. We鈥檙e missing Joe Willock who鈥檚 a big miss in terms of energy. Joey (Joelinton) declared himself fit yesterday but was not at 100 percent with the knee problem he had. There are mitigating circumstances,鈥� Howe said.
鈥淛oe鈥檚 had a bit of a setback with an Achilles injury. It鈥檚 not related to his hamstring problem so I think he鈥檒l be missing for around six weeks.鈥�
Reacting to his injury blow on Instagram, Willock posted: 鈥淚 hate this, but God I love you and trust you 鈥� I am convinced I will bounce back stronger.鈥�
Willock will likely miss Champions League Group F fixtures against AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund, as well as four Premier League encounters and a Carabao Cup third round clash with Manchester City.