The Magpies set up with a defensive formation but Eddie Howe insisted it was to aid attacking play
Anthony Gordon of Newcastle United down injured during the Carabao Cup semi final at Manchester City
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Eddie Howe has revealed his intentions at the Etihad Stadium after opting for a five-man defensive rearguard despite Newcastle United being 2-0 down before a ball was kicked in the North West.
On a costly night, Howe lost Anthony Gordon through a first half injury with the winger added to a long list of absentees including Fabian Schar, Tino Livramento and Emil Krafth. Gordon is now a doubt for Saturday night's must-win against Brentford.
Howe, speaking after the semi-final defeat against Man City, said: "It looks like a hamstring injury, it was enough for him to come off so that is a big worry."
The Magpies slumped to a 3-1 defeat on the night against City at the Etihad Stadium. Having lost the first leg too at St James' Park, Howe needed to come up with a plan to keep Newcastle in the game and find a way of reducing the deficit, and opted for a similar setup to that which worked well in the Parc des Princes.
However, Newcastle were 3-0 down on the night after half an hour and their cup defence was over.
Responding to a question on the five-man defence, he said: "The aim of playing five at the back? It is irrelevant of the number you have at the back, it is how you adapt that to the game.
"We were trying to attack tonight, I think that was quite clear. But we need to defend well. And part of playing five was to help us defend well.
"The goals were strange; they were not necessarily coming from pressure. I didn't feel a goal was coming. But it's individual mistakes and errors. I didn't like the way the goals happened and I didn't like the final actions.
"So that is something, following on from Liverpool, quite similar, a worrying trend in the last two games."
Howe had called beforehand for Newcastle to start strongly and with intent but the game did not go as planned with the visitors 5-0 down on aggregate at half-time. The Magpies had chances but ultimately failed to take them and got cut open too easily at the other end.
Howe said: "Tough first half for us. We were craving that first goal and didn't get it, and when Man City get it our task becomes even more difficult. I don't think we played well in that first half hour.
"I don't think we did well in individual duels, and when you do that against the quality of the opposition we were up against tonight, it was always going to be tough.
"In saying that, we had opportunities in both halves, and if you add up all our opportunities in both games against them, there are a lot of missed chances in front of goal, which ultimately cost us."