Newcastle United's English head coach Eddie Howe applauds the fans at the end of the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Sunderland at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on March 22, 2026. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images)placeholder image
Newcastle United's English head coach Eddie Howe applauds the fans at the end of the English Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Sunderland at St James' Park in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, north east England on March 22, 2026. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Sunderland completed the double over Newcastle United with a 2-1 victory at St James’ Park.
Anthony Gordon gave the Magpies the lead in the 10th minute but second-half goals from Chemsdine Talbi and Brian Brobbery flipped the result on its head.
United have now lost both Tyne-Wear derbies this campaign after losing 1-0 at the Stadium of Light in December.
Eddie Howe responds to Sunderland defeat and Newcastle United boos
Reflecting on the defeat and on post-match boos, Howe said: “Yeah, very, very painful. Most of all, painful for our supporters. And they're the ones I think about now.
“I've got very little to sort of use as an excuse, and I don't want to go down that road. Never have. I never believed in that method. Once you haven't performed, and you know the size of the game, and you don't deliver, you expect to be criticised, and you understand why.
“I understand the reaction at the end of the game. We haven't done our jobs well enough today, and we're desperately disappointed in ourselves. And yeah, I think we have to absorb it.
“All we can do, the only thing we can do, is try and come back stronger from it.
“You never want to go through that, but I think my first thought as the leader of everything is to front it up, absorb it, act like I would normally act in all moments, and I think that's really, really important for me.
“I understand the criticism and expect it, and I've got no issue with it.”
Eddie Howe remains ‘fully committed’ to Newcastle United
Asked how he felt about his position as Newcastle head coach, Howe replied: “Yeah, I mean, I'm committed. I'm fully committed to the job. I'm disappointed in my delivery today and my delivery the last week. The Barcelona game was very tough. Today's even tougher.
“Yeah, I mean, I always, as I said after the Brentford game, absorb that blame myself. I don't look to deflect it anywhere else. I certainly won't deflect it to my players. I'll protect my players until my last breath.
“And yeah, I think that's how I look at it. It's going to be a tough, painful few days for me.”
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