Eddie Howe has reaffirmed his commitment to Newcastle United amidst one of his stormiest spells as the manager of the club before the Toon host his former club Bournemouth at St. James’ Park.
The side suffered a disruptive period over the offseason headlined by the Alexander Isak saga, setting the tone for a disappointing campaign. They crashed out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup against Manchester City before being battered 8-3 on aggregate against Barcelona in the Round of 16 in the Champions League. Now, all they have to fight for is points in the Premier League.
‘It’s a difficult period’
A 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace piled on pressure last weekend, and Howe has to show his mettle. There are questions about his future, but his focus is on the fixtures remaining on the schedule until the end of May. The return of the club captain could be a significant factor for the group during this run-in.
“We need that [winning] feeling back. It's been too long. We're desperate to win and play well.
"This week we have had a mix of emotions. We had the disappointing result against Crystal Palace and there was a bit of anger, all those emotions which can be really positive for you, so we've tried to use them. There haven't been too many smiling faced around the training ground but I think the feeling is one of steely determination to put it right.
"It's been a strange year in terms of the Premier League table, it's been very tight all season. We need a run of wins we needed all season. The biggest difference has been the lack of consistency. We are in a difficult period, but we can still end up with a really successful season so that has to be our aim.
“It is a difficult period. In my job you want to live in the world of winning games. The pitfalls that come with that are complacency and you want to keep standards high. This is a different moment, we have to critique ourselves honestly and have harsh words. At the same time, you have to protect confidence levels, so it is a delicate balance.
Howe's commitment to Newcastle's future
“I just want serve the club and do what’s right for the football club. That’s always been my aim. If that’s me leaving to help the club, then of course that’s something I’ll do, I’ve got no issue doing that.
"It’s not about me. But if I believe I’m the right person to take the club forward, which I do currently right now, then I’ll do that and I’ll fight to the end. I’ll fight harder than I’ve ever fought before, but it’s about making sure that those two things are aligned.
“My fire is burning very, very strongly.”
“In terms of my fire, my fire is burning very, very strongly. That’s no guarantee from my side what’s going to happen in the future because as I’ve said, the forces that move in football clubs move quickly.
"But my fire is there. There’s loads of wood stacked up and I’m ready to put it on it. There's a host of reasons. I know everyone wants one simple explanation and then for me to go away and fix it but I think it's multi-factored. I don't want to sit here and give excuses.
“If you try and explain something it is perceived as excuses. We haven't done it; we need to try and do it. We have enough games to make a difference to our league standing. All we have to focus on is the future.
Bruno Guimaraes pushing for return
“There is a chance [**Bruno Guimaraes* could play]. We have seen him in training, and he is pushing really hard to be back involved. The medical team are trying to hold him back... I say hold him back, there's always that tug because the player is desperate to play and I love that with Bruno.”*