Newcastle United's English head coach Eddie Howe arrives ahead of kick-off in the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Brentford at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on February 7, 2026. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images)placeholder image
Newcastle United's English head coach Eddie Howe arrives ahead of kick-off in the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Brentford at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on February 7, 2026. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Every word Eddie Howe said after Newcastle United’s 3-2 defeat to Brentford at St James’ Park.
Following the Magpies’ 3-2 defeat to Brentford at St James’ Park on Saturday night, Howe was left questioning nobody but himself.
Four Premier League games without a win, including three defeats on the bounce, has left United 12th in the table and their hopes of challenging for the Champions League places hanging by a thread.
With 10 points the gap, Howe’s side are as close to the relegation zone as they are to the top five with just 13 matches of the season remaining.
Where do Newcastle go from here? Here’s every word Howe said in his post-Brentford press conference:
A difficult evening, it must be hard to hear the team being booed off at the end and at half-time?
“Yes, obviously not what we want. It is hard, but I don't blame the supporters for expressing their feelings.
“I think we've created that ourselves to a point with a run of games where we haven't played as well as we can. We've defended poorly and we've got punished and there's no other thing to do than accept responsibility for it.”
It’s 13 goals conceded in five games, that's just not good enough, is it?
“No, it's not good enough and I think it's been out of character with the performances. I don't think we've been conceding a lot of chances, we've just been conceding a lot of goals. Today would be a similar theme for that.
“You take the penalty aside and I don't think they've created too much but there's certain moments in the game where we didn't defend anywhere near well enough, individually or collectively.
“Ultimately from 1-0 up to 2-1 down very quickly, we only have ourselves to blame. I think by accepting that is the only way then to improve.”
What will your response to this run of form be?
“Yes, smart work. I don't think we can work hard because we don't have the ability to do that with the schedule. But we can certainly work smart and try to find solutions and continue to really try and figure out how we can generate some defensive solidity while maintaining an attacking threat. I think that's the key.”
You’re generally very level, but were there harsh words in the dressing room after an evening like that?
“I think there's a harsh reality for me. I think I've got to think long and hard about, not my efforts, I can't question that myself, but I think I've got to work better, I've got to do more. I've got to take full responsibility for everything you see on the pitch and I've got to work out solutions.
“I think that's for me to do and then of course I have to ask the same from the players. I have to ask them to be really honest with themselves and look at their best level and judge how they're playing against that now in this current moment.
“I don't think there's too many that can say that they're playing towards their best. so I think that then gives us growth to improve.”
How would you assess this moment in the season? Is it getting close to a bit of a crisis?
“It's a difficult moment for us, I don't think there's any denying that. I think today, especially, I think you can look back at the last run of games we've had and I think you can actually point to positives in the performance in defeat and go ‘well okay we created a lot of chances there. On a different day that could have been very different’ but today I think we've had to take full accountability.
“We’re 1-0 up at home in a game that for me we should then accelerate through the gears and show our true form and build some confidence and we didn't, we went the other way.
“Yes there are mitigating circumstances, yes we're missing a lot of key players, yes some of our players are having to play fatigued, but we've got to do better, there's no other way to put it from my viewpoint.”
How concerned are you about this moment at the minute?
“Yeah we're in a negative run of momentum, there's no denying that, and I think that in a different day with momentum behind us we would have won today and sometimes when you're in the feeling that we are now you can lose from positions that you can't really work out in a game.
“It is a momentum, it's a confidence, it's a mentality issue, I don't think it's an ability issue. And with that of course with the players you lose to injury, your psyche gets damaged slightly.
“We have to look at ourselves and show real character, real strength because that's the only way we need players to perform at their best levels.”
Is there a chance of players coming back for Tuesday?
“I don't think so, I'm not aware of that.”
It's the first time in a long time we've heard boos like that here at St James' Park. Are you at risk of losing your 12th man here?
“No I don't think so because I think if we perform the crowd will back us and they'll be with us every step of the way. I've got no issue with their reaction today, they're reacting to what we deliver.
“I don't see that being a problem, of course we have to turn that around with our performances.”
Do you feel under pressure, especially after how the crowd reacted at the end?
“I always feel under pressure. It's irrelevant to me the type of pressure. I think when you're in this job, you're always in that moment. Whether it's pressure to win and keep winning or whether it's pressure to turn around results, we're very much in that feeling.
“I always say the pressure I put on myself couldn't be more extreme because I demand really high standards for what I'm doing, how I work, what I ask the players to do. I'm obviously not doing my job well enough at the moment.”
Where are you emotionally in all of this?
“Yeah, I'm trying to pick the right words. Annoyed with myself, angry with myself, blaming myself, taking full responsibility and accountability on my shoulders, no one else.”
Are they enjoying this busy schedule? Or is it an admission within the dressing room that it's too much for them?
“I think they'd be enjoying the schedule if we were winning, because then you're going from game to game in a really good feeling, in a good moment and the group spirits are really high.
“I think in the moment it's difficult because we're not where we want to be and then the emotions are low, then you're going into another game.
“And that's the key thing, is to try and somehow switch the emotion level or even the low feeling into anger or into almost a positive emotion. Even if it's negative, if that makes sense, that's what we need to try and do.”
When you score a goal now and take the lead, it seems to have the opposite impact and you become worse at scoring a goal. Why is that?
“Bo, I can't look at it any differently because that's what I see as well. I've got no idea why that would be the case. Scoring a goal should breathe confidence through the team. It's such a positive and amazing thing when you score and you celebrate together with your supporters.
“Today that should have been the catalyst for us to go on and play better and control the game more but as you said, it had the opposite effect and that's happened too many times to us this season. We've been worse for scoring and I don't understand it.
“It's a very, very difficult thing to work out because I think it's all in the brain. But I don't think it would be in the brain of all the players, maybe two or three, but that two or three is enough to sway the performance negatively.”
Given the team is fatigued and you've got such a relentless schedule, do you regret going for the defence of the Carabao Cup?
“My job is to win and try and win every game. I do get the question and understand it but we've tried to attack everything honestly.”
Front foot, intensity, do you think this group can play like that three times a week, every week?
“I don't know whether the requirement for me would be that. I think we have asked the team to do different things at different times, depending on the game and what the game needs.
“I think it's all relative to the opponent and where you think the best way or how the best way to win the game is. I think we've tried to do different things.
“Ultimately, our preferred way here at home against most opponents is to go for the throat. Try and control the game, even sometimes off the ball, with relentless pressing, with really good physical performances. That hasn't been there regularly enough.
“As I say, it only takes one or two players to be off physically for that to break down. It's not a thing that sometimes you can pin on all 11 players.
“At the moment, we're not functioning like we have done historically as a team. I can see that, and that's why we've got to find solutions to that.”
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