Eddie Howe admits that there was a little bit of unrest in the air ahead of the Barcelona clash
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe admits that Newcastle United could easily have been going into the clash with Barcelona suffering from "outside noise". The Magpies ended their win-less run with a slender victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday thanks to a goal from Nick Woltemade at St James' Park.
It was a win that helped Newcastle climb back into the top 10 after a stuttering start to the 2025/26 campaign. However, now Newcastle can firmly focus on the task in hand against Barca.
Looking back on the win over Wolves, Howe told Chronicle Live: "That’s why this win was so important. There is no other noise apart from that game now.
"I think if we hadn’t won, that wouldn’t have been the case. It would have been slightly negative going into what should be a really positive game. That all dissolves, and we can really focus entirely on this one game now."
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Fans have been getting into the mood at St James' Park with the club shop doing a roaring trade selling half and half Barca-Newcastle scarves and both Newcastle and Barca fans gathering at the Sir Bobby Robson statue at Gallowgate.
Howe said: "For me, it’s a magical game. It’s the type of game that you’re desperate to be a part of and desperate to hopefully represent the club really well in. That’s our challenge.
"Of course, there are connections with Sir Bobby that we fully embrace. That’s what makes it such a special thing."
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