Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe.placeholder image
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe. | AFP via Getty Images
Eddie Howe risks upsetting at least one Newcastle United player against West Ham United.
After a late Bruno Guimaraes goal handed the Magpies a late 2-1 win over Fulham last weekend, Howe made eight changes for the Carabao Cup fourth round tie against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
And many of those players went on to take their opportunities, with a header in either half from Fabian Schar and Nick Woltemade earning a 2-0 victory to set up a quarter-final tie at home to Fulham.
Eddie Howe admits NUFC selection dilemmas v West Ham
Howe admitted the Spurs performance has given him something to think about in terms of team selection against the Hammers.
“That's what I wanted pre-game,” Howe said. “I didn't want the team I picked not to perform. I wanted everyone to perform at their best and to challenge the other players who were playing.
“Challenge everybody to make sure that everyone is aware that one bad game can cost you and I think that's a really healthy feeling for the squad to have.
“Everyone has to be super alert that they've got to continue to give really strong performances for themselves and for the team to ultimately be successful in the various competitions we're in.
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“When you look around the squad and the group of players that we have, it's not easy to pick a team because you're dealing with very, very good players across the board, all with slightly different strengths and it's a case of just trying to pick a team that you feel will have the best chance of winning the next game. That's how I view it.
“That's how I picked the team on Wednesday. I wanted to win the game, also recognising the schedule that we have and the future schedule the players have and trying to manage certain individuals so they stay fit or give them the best chance of staying fit throughout the season.
“It's a delicate balance. I think whoever I play in the squad are back to help us win. Of course, managing the squad through the season is something that I'll have to do for the benefit of everybody.”
This is Eddie Howe’s biggest NUFC selection dilemma
In midfield, Jacob Ramsey, Lewis Miley and Joe Willock are competing with Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton, while Harvey Barnes and Anthony Elanga are in competition Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy.
But Howe’s biggest selection dilemma is in the back line. Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn will start as the two full-backs and Malick Thiaw will continue at centre-back, but who starts alongside the German is the big question.
Sven Botman has regularly partnered Thiaw but a nasty cut to the head during the Fulham win saw Schar come on in the Dutchman’s place and he retained his spot for the cup win over Tottenham.
Botman only dropped out of the line-up through force, but Schar has also been flawless. So, how does Howe decide?
Howe told NewcastleWorld: “I think it's the type of decision, I'm not going to talk about necessarily that one specifically, but other choices that I have. For every ten people you ask, you probably get five go one way, five go the other and unfortunately I'm the guy that has to make the final decision.
“But that's the beauty, or not so beautiful side of being a football manager. You have to make very difficult decisions but you have to make one and then you have to stick with it.
“Team selection, I think, is always the hardest call because you're having to disappoint people that you really love and you really rate and you really don't want to do that. So that's one of the most difficult parts of the job, but I always do it with the best intentions and that's to help the team win.”
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