The Magpies head to Merseyside looking to avoid a European hangover following defeat in France
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe(Image: Getty Images)
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Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe insists that Newcastle United are still in the process of educating themselves in the Champions League.
Howe though does not want United's European hangover to seep into Saturday night's clash with Everton and wanted to take learnings from France into the next game.
But hopes that the deflation of their narrow defeat in Marseille can be used as fuel to help net three points against Everton at the weekend. Howe tweaked his team at the Velodrome and with good reason given the amount of football Nick Woltemade has played with no recognised striker to cover him.
The likes of Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento were never going to be capable of playing 90 minutes after recent injuries. But Howe will shake things up again for the clash on Merseyside.
When asked if Europe being described as a learning curve can go on for much longer, after 11 matches in the Champions League in the last two years, Howe told Chronicle Live: "We have to take advantage of every opportunity we have to learn. It's frustrating, very disappointing given the result. We deserved better. There are some very positive signs.
"It was a very high-level match. We defended well against that hostile atmosphere. I think it was a very, very good, very intense atmosphere against us.
"At the start of the second half, we didn't react properly to the equaliser. That cost us dearly. We were caught out. It would have been crucial for us to extend our lead, because we weren't always able to defend well."
Yet the loss to the Ligue 1 side was not a dead on the knees type of performance like Brentford a couple of weeks ago.
Howe said: "It is a tough defeat to swallow. But we'll see how things develop.
"There are still other matches to play, and anything can happen in football. It's the most prestigious European competition
"As I say it is a defeat that is hard to swallow, but we have to learn from it."
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