News
Eddie Howe watched on as his team lost their final pre-season friendly.
A 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
The match played of course without Alexander Isak involved.
Eddie Howe talked about the match and…Alexander Isak afterwards.
**Eddie Howe asked about absence of a goalscorer(s):**
_“I think in the pre-season games, that this would be a fair assessment._
_“I don’t think I’m thinking any different but we can still win football matches._
_“We need to turn the margins, the little things, in our favour._
_“We need to look across the board at how we can get more goals into the team._
_“That has always been part of the coach’s job, to find a way to win._
_“That is what we have got to do._
_“I have always tried to keep a very balanced view on things._
_“It is never as good as you think it is when you feel good…and it is never as bad as you think it is when you feel bad._
_“At the moment, I’m very neutral._
_“I have seen the challenges and I know the challenges that we face._
_“This is new territory for us but I also believe from those tough moments you can actually build something even more special, if you come out the other side, and that’s a big IF._
_“So for me, the priority now is the players that we have fit and available._
_“Making sure that they are fully understanding of what’s expected of them and making sure we’re resilient enough to deal with a lot of outside noise, a lot of speculation on us._
_“Which through no fault of our own is negative. We need to cut that out, unite even stronger.’_
**Eddie Howe on the Alexander Isak situation:**
_“I think everything is at play because he is contracted to us, he’s our player._
_“The club basically make the decision on his future._
_“I don’t know what that will be._
_“Of course, I do have a preferred outcome._
_“I want the best and strongest squad possible._
_“But also, I want players that really want to play for this football club._
_“That (Alexander Isak decision) will be for other people to make._
_“I’m just trying to manage the situation and manage the team, most importantly._
_“To manage the group of players that I’m working with day to day, that I love coaching and helping, and we are focusing on Aston Villa._
_“Everything else, to a degree, from my perspective, is not in my control, so it is not my focus.”_
**Eddie Howe asked whether he personally could convince Alexander Isak to stay:**
_“If it was that easy I would be doing it._
_“I’d have done it yesterday._
_“But it’s not that easy._
_“I want him training and I want him playing for us._
_“So I think by that you can see my want and wish._
_“But from both sides it has to be right.”_
**Eddie Howe on Anthony Gordon after he was forced off late in the match due to injury:**
_“We hope that he is okay._
_“I think it’s an ankle twist (Anthony Gordon confirmed this was the case on social media on Saturday night).”_
**Eddie Howe on Sven Botman who only played the first half:**
_“That was the pre-game plan._
_“I thought he came through it well._
_“He is such a big player and we just need to keep him fit._
_“So we are just managing his games.”_
**Eddie Howe on right-back Harrison Ashby who was used in midfield on Saturday:**
_“I think the biggest thing today is that I liked his attitude._
_“He attacked the position._
_“He very rarely plays that position, although he has trained there for us._
_“It’s a sign of our squad depth…_
_“We are stretched in midfield.”_
**Final score:**
Newcastle 0 Atletico Madrid 2
**Goals:**
**Newcastle:**
**Atletico Madrid:**
Alvarez 50, Griezmann 63
**Attendance:**
51,584
**Newcastle team v Atletico Madrid:**
Pope, Ashby (Alfie Harrison 61), Lascelles, Botman (Alex Murphy 46), Livramento, Trippier (Shahar 87), Joelinton, Tonali, Elanga, Gordon (Neave 84), Barnes
**Unused Subs:**
Ruddy, Gillespie, Charlton, Kuol, Sanusi
**Newcastle United pre-season friendly schedule 2025/26**
**Saturday 12 July –** Newcastle 4 Carlisle 0 (Behind closed doors)
**Saturday 19 July** – Celtic 4 Newcastle 0
**Sunday 27 July** – Arsenal 3 Newcastle 2
**Wednesday 30 July –** Team K-League All Stars 1 Newcastle 0
**Sunday 3 August-** Spurs 1 Newcastle 1
**Friday 8 August –** Newcastle 2 Espanyol 2
**Saturday 9 August –** Newcastle 0 Atletico Madrid 2
(Match Report : This will definitely be a fine season – Up the Mags – Read [HERE](https://www.themag.co.uk/2025/08/this-will-definitely-be-a-fine-season-up-the-mags-newcastle-0-atletico-madrid-2-newcastle-united/))