Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, speaks during a press conference ahead of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match against FC Barcelona at Newcastle United Training Centre on September 17, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)placeholder image
Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, speaks during a press conference ahead of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD1 match against FC Barcelona at Newcastle United Training Centre on September 17, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Every word Eddie Howe said ahead of Newcastle United’s Premier League clash away to Tottenham Hotspur.
The Magpies were subject to boos from sections of the fanbase after their 3-2 defeat to Brentford on Saturday night left them 12th in the Premier League table, 10 points below the top five with 13 matches left to play.
Howe too has also come under increased pressure and criticism in recent weeks and responded he by taking full responsibility in his post-Brentford press conference.
Around 30 or so hours on, Howe was back in front of the media - and here’s everything he said:
You were very open and honest after the Brentford defeat. Now you've had 24 hours to reflect, how are you feeling?
“Yeah, I always try to be honest, whether we've played well or played badly and try and give my honest feedback to you guys, I think that's important.
“I was really disappointed on Saturday with the result. We tried to take ownership of that and now we're focused on the future and I think hopefully a good day's training today and a massive game tomorrow.”
What in general do you need to do better, because that was what you said on Saturday, you said ‘I need to do my job better’?
“Firstly, I think we have to defend better, I think when you look back at the last run of games, we haven't defended our goal well enough, that's cost us in those games, so I think it's a simple thing to say and sometimes a difficult thing to execute, but we need to find solutions to our defensive vulnerabilities.
“And of course we need to be more clinical the other way, I think the two things go hand in hand, we've not defended well enough and we haven't been clinical enough the other end, so it's a bad mix and that's the big issues for us.”
How do you feel now versus how you felt after Brentford?
“Always tough when you feel the team isn't playing at the level it should, that's always a tough emotion for me because you have to take responsibility for that and that's what I tried to do after the game.
“Then it's about trying to find solutions, then it's about speaking to the players, trying to get their individual games back to the level that we know they're capable of being at and then the collective mentality and feeling within the group takes even more importance, so a combination of those things is what I've been focusing on.
“I think always the raw emotions of a defeat linger, until such time where you then focus on the next one and that's very much where I am now.”
Is this one of the toughest periods for you here at Newcastle so far?
“Yes, I think so. I think any time when you're not getting the results that you want. I don't think performances have been particularly bad, statistically we're still pretty strong in every game, but the results certainly haven't matched that.
“It's been a difficult run of games, it continues to be a difficult run of games for us and that's where we all need to show our strength of character and our resolve and our resilience and our feeling of how important this is to us and that needs to show most importantly on the pitch.
How important is it to show that unity tomorrow in what is massive game against a struggling Tottenham Hotspur side?
“Yes, the unity aspect is always important. I think if you don't have that, you lose everything. At the moment, we still have that and that's the most important thing. The supporters, even on Saturday, were incredible for us. Again, that's never taken for granted, that's never from our side expected.
“We have to earn it, we have to continue to have the respect of our supporters. The only way we can do that is with our intention in the next game, with how we attack the next game, with everything we give off with our body language, the supporters will feed off it and we need to make sure it's a positive response.
“I'm confident it will be and I can't thank the loyalty from the supporters enough.”
As a coach or a manager, do you almost have to be at your best when you're up against it?
“I think so, I think that's where your qualities have to come to the fore because that's where everyone is looking at you to set the tone, people want to follow. That's human nature, so if you have strength as a leader in these moments, you can drag everybody with you.
“That's where it's the most important time to stand up and show your character and to show how much it means to you. That's what we're going to try and do, me and the staff.
“We've got a great group of players, we've got a really honest group, we've got a group that really care, so I've got no issue on that side. We just need the quality in our performances to improve.”
Do you feel that fatigue aside, that ultimately in the long term, being better in possession is a bigger problem?
“I think there's of course challenges for us in possession and out of possession. We need to be better with the ball. I think that was evident on Saturday. We didn't have long enough spells in possession, which meant the control aspect of our game was poor. Very transitional game.
“In some senses though, I think history tells us that the transitional games we're really good at. So the Leeds game, for example, that you mentioned, that helped us win that game. The fact that it was end-to-end, the fact that it was open and our attacking players could take advantage of that. So it's very game-dependent.
“Probably against Liverpool and Manchester City in recent games, the transitional aspect didn't help us, so it's always something that we're monitoring.”
You said no one can put you under the pressure that you put yourself under. Can you just give a little bit of context on that?
“I care so much about what I do, I care so much about the club. The club, for me, is always number one, not myself or any of the players to a degree, it’s the club and what that stands for.
“Of course the players are a huge part of that. So I will always act in the best interest of the club with every decision that I make, whether that's about me or about any individual player. So I think when you're trying to act in that way and you're trying to think of the bigger picture, the pressure that individuals or other people can put on you, it's irrelevant really.
“I have to live with my own thoughts of myself and what I'm delivering and I'm very honest to say that after the game that I need to do better and I will do better. It's part of the evolution, it's part of growing.
“And these challenging moments are where you grow the most, so I'm looking forward to trying to do that.”
Are you still as determined as you were when you arrived four and a half years ago?
“Yes, I think I am. I think going back to the previous question, I think the club's always number one, as I said, and I think you've got to, from my perspective, I've got to think that I am the right person for the job and I'm giving value and I'm helping the players and I'm the right person to get results ultimately.
“So as long as I feel that in my heart and in my spirit, then my desire and my motivation levels are as high as they've ever been. But I think that's the key question I always have to ask myself. ‘Am I the right person to take the team and the club forward?’
How long did it take you to decide that on Sunday?
“It's not something I judge every day. It's a feeling that you have. And as long as that feeling is there and remains inside of me, I'll fight every day to the maximum that I can for success for the club.”
I think some of the discourse at the game on Saturday, there were some accusations that maybe the players hadn't been given the role and that it wasn't all there. How would you respond to that?
“I would defend them. I think it's an easy criticism to make in the sense that when you don't win and the performance wasn't at the level that we want it to be, to accuse the players of that.
“But obviously I see a different side. I see the preparation. I see the players in every moment and I sort of get the feeling. I've had groups that you would question their honesty. I'm not sat here always saying the same things. Not necessarily here because I think here we've had some unbelievable teams and the squad now I think is really, really strong in terms of psychology.
“But we have to answer those questions and the only place to do that is on the pitch, so if there are suggestions that people felt that we didn't execute everything or leave it all out on the pitch, then we have to take that on the chin.”
Is there any doubt in your mind that you are the man to continue to lead this club forward?
“No, there's no doubt in my mind and that's why I'm sat here. If there was, then I wouldn't be because, as I said, the club's the most important thing.
“I'd never put myself before the club if I didn't think I was the correct man to take the team forward and I could give the players what they need, then I would step aside and let someone else do it.
Have you seen or spoken to the players since Saturday's game?
“No, I'll have the pleasure of doing that this morning.”
And when the opportunities to train are few and far between the quick turnaround to Spurs, what was the thinking behind not seeing the players yesterday, for example?
“Sometimes mental freshness, one of the issues we're suffering with is obviously mental fatigue of the game, of training.
“So the day after a game, I think it's a very good time to let the emotions come out of the players and then we'll address them today. Keeping the players in here, non-stop, would have a very detrimental effect.”
From the outside looking in, you think Newcastle went from fighting relegation to winning a trophy as a straight line. You've had sticky spells before, how much do you tap into that experience and resilience?
“Yeah, I think always looking back is a healthy thing in these moments where you can see the journeys you've been on before. As you say, it's never been a straight line, there's always been difficult periods. I think this is one of the most difficult.
“But yeah, those experiences that I've been through before countless times stand me in good stead for this moment. The collective spirit is what we're after, we're after the collective fight from all the players. And I think if you have that resolve within the group, you can do amazing things again.
“It can turn very quickly, the momentum is against us at the moment, we have to swing the momentum back and the world can look a very different place within a couple of games.”
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