Newcastle United 2-0 Athletic Club: Joe Buck reaction
Eddie Howe is determined to shake off a tag that risks becoming associated with his Newcastle United side this season.
It’s been a poor start to the season for a side that has finished in the top seven in each of the last three campaigns, qualifying for the Champions League twice.
But in just four Champions League games, Newcastle have scored as many goals and won as many matches as they have in 10 Premier League outings so far this campaign.
Eddie Howe’s side picked up a third straight Champions League win at home to Athletic Club on Wednesday night thanks to goals from Dan Burn and Joelinton. The 2-0 win leaves The Magpies sitting sixth in the group phase table with a strong chance of progressing to the knockout stages with four games left to play.
Newcastle have also progressed to the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup for the fourth successive season under Howe, having won the competition last year.
But Newcastle’s contrasting league and cup form sparked the suggestion that Newcastle risk becoming a certain type of team.
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Are Newcastle United becoming a cup team?
Newcastle’s general inconsistency but ability to beat any team on their day, particularly at St James’ Park, is a characteristic of a classic ‘cup team’. Their performances in the cups, with five wins out of six, 16 goals scored and only three conceded this season compared to three wins out of 10, 10 goals scored and 11 conceded in the league only helps prove that point.
But as Newcastle prepare to return to Premier League action at Brentford on Sunday (2pm kick-off), Howe is wanting consistency from his side across all competitions.
Hitting back at the suggestion his side could be a ‘cup team’, Howe said: “No, we don’t want to become associated with that tag. I don’t think it’s a healthy one for us.
“We want to be a team that delivers consistently, is strong in every respect, mentally. Because if you’re just able to lift yourselves for certain moments like that, you never know when that side of your game - the negative side - is going to show. And we can’t become associated with that.”
NUFC eyeing first away win since April
While Newcastle have won away at Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League, they haven’t won a domestic away game since April, a run stretching back eight away league matches.
Last season, Newcastle lost 4-2 at Brentford in a defeat that was viewed as a potential turning point in the season, as they followed it up with nine successive wins in all competitions. That run helped Newcastle climb from 12th to the Champions League places while also progressing to the final of the Carabao Cup.
Newcastle find themselves in a similar position at a similar point in the season heading into Brentford away this time around.
“It’s hugely frustrating because I think we have a style of play and a method of play that works, that is really effective,” Howe said. “For whatever reason, we’ve not been winning the games away from home that we should have done.
“Now we’re caught in that trap where it’s becoming a topic of conversation, and we’re probably becoming more aware of it. I don’t really want to focus on the home and away debate - it’s about playing a game of football and delivering a good performance regardless of where we play.
“The only way we can answer those questions is to perform and actually do the business.”
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