Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has told Anthony Gordon not to absorb too much feedback from outside the four walls of the dressing room.
Although, he had no problem with Gordon's celebration against Liverpool which was interpeted by some as a swipe back at media critics after a long series of reports linking the Scouser with his hometown team. Now he wants Gordon to get his head down and get back to his very best.
Gordon's goal against the Reds in the 3-3 draw was just his third of the season after 16 matches in all competitions. Reflecting on the ex-Everton man's experiences of being in the spotlight, Howe, speaking ahead of today's clash with Brentford, said: "It goes with the territory, when you’re performing well in the Premier League you're going to be talked about positively and you’re going to be talked about negatively \[if you’re not performing\].
"As we all are when you’re under the spotlight. Dealing with that, taking some stuff in, taking the majority away from your head is key. Ultimately, if you’re enjoying your football that is when they are at their best levels."
When asked if criticism can be used as motivation from the backroom team to assist the players, Howe spoke about the goal celebration that proved to be a talking point in the aftermath of the six-goal thriller.
He said: "It’s a really simple formula for us to help the players with but I’ll be really pleased if he \[Gordon\] keeps doing that celebration as it means he is scoring lots of goals."