Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe gave an honest response about being drawn against Aston Villa in the FA Cup
Eddie Howe and Unai Emery
Eddie Howe and Unai Emery(Image: PA)
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Eddie Howe admits that a trip to Aston Villa in the FA Cup "is not ideal," especially considering it will be Newcastle United’s fifth away match in six games.
The Magpies knocked Bournemouth out of the third round on penalties, while Villa secured a 2-1 win at Tottenham Hotspur.
Newcastle come into the game on the back of a 2-1 league win at Tottenham, which ended a run of four games without an away victory.
Speaking ahead of traveling to Birmingham for Saturday’s 5:45 pm kick-off, Howe was asked about the reaction to the difficult draw within the club.
“It’s a tough draw,” he admitted. “I think that whenever you are away from home, especially with the amount of away fixtures we’ve had, we don’t think too deeply about it in the moment.
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“You absorb it, you take it in, you go ‘well that’s not ideal,’ and then you quickly move on and accept you’ve got to do it.
“That’s where we are. I have more sympathy for the supporters who have to make all the sacrifices to get to Birmingham for the game. It’s our job to make the disruption and the cost easier - that’s what we will try to do.
Asked about the task of competing across all fronts this season, Howe said: “It’s not easy. We’ve found lots of challenges along the way.
“The injury situation we have had has been difficult. Our midfield has been hit with Bruno, Joeltinon, and Lewis Miley. With those players potentially missing for us, it’s damaging for the team.
“It has given the chance for other players to step up in their absence, and it’s great to see Jacob Ramsey and Joe Willock do well.”
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