Eddie Howe has come out fighting over his Newcastle United future.
Howe cut a flat figure pre-Crystal Palace and that was ultimately reflected in the performance at Selhurst Park, as his side, like Sunderland last time out, again took the lead but again lost.
But it isn’t just Sunderland and Palace. 25 points dropped from winning positions in the Premier League this season is just one metric being used to bash Howe. Another is that his team sits 14th in the table with only six games left to salvage something.
There are sections of the fanbase that are losing faith. In truth, some have already lost it. And a perceived lack of conviction in words Howe delivered pre-Palace had others wondering if he, too was feeling a similar emotion.
Eddie Howe comes out fighting over his Newcastle United future
But the same accusation can’t be aimed at Howe a week on. The tone was very contrasting, in fact, as he went into fight mode. As it stands, he wants to be here next season. The only doubt he did cast was whether or not the powers that be do.
“My fire is burning very, very strongly,” Howe said. “ That's no guarantee obviously from my side on what's going to happen in the future because, as I've said, the forces that 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 was no hiding from Newcastle’s head coach, especially when it was said he could leave now as a legend, or risk becoming a villain should the situation become more toxic.
“It's very black and white that one. I appreciate your first comment,” Howe smiled. “I'm not sure I necessarily believe them but I appreciate them.
“Of course I just want to serve the club. I just want to do what's right for the football club and 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 making sure that those two things are aligned.”
Now it’s time for his players to do the same
If the demeanour of the manager is anything to go by, then his players should bang up for it against Bournemouth. And for all that Howe is accountable for this season’s struggles, they owe him big time.
“Certainly from the team side and from my side, we need to see a team that's prepared to run, we need to see a team that's prepared to attack, we need to see a team that is playing with a high motivation level, with high quality, with freedom,” Howe said.
“I've said so many times I want to be entertained watching the team play. I don't want to look at the team and go ‘I don't recognise this team’ and there's been moments this season where I have felt that, where I've been disappointed and not in terms of the effort but just in terms of what we've delivered. That's fundamentally important.
“What I coach, we need to see on the pitch and I know the players feel the same way. So I think there's a big emphasis on entertainment, on attacking, on that spirit and that freedom that I think we've always had and we've just lost grip of it slightly. We can get it back, the proof is in what you see.”
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