Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United at Selhurst Park on April 12, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)placeholder image
Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, looks on prior to the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United at Selhurst Park on April 12, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Everything Eddie Howe said following Newcastle United’s 2-1 defeat away to Crystal Palace.
Just like Sunderland before the international break, the Magpies took the lead through Will Osula but went on to lose following a late brace from substitute Jean-Philippe Mateta.
But it isn’t just Sunderland and Palace where Eddie Howe’s side have surrendered a lead, dropping a staggering 25 points from winning positions in the league.
With six games left to play, time is running out for United in their bid to qualify for Europe. Here’s everything Howe said in the aftermath of the defeat at Selhurst Park:
25 points lost from winning positions this season...
“Those numbers are incredible, really, and it's blighted our season, the fact that we haven't been able to sort of consolidate really good passages of the game, but go on and score more goals and continue to attack.
“I think I've said many times that's not the tactical instruction we give the players. We don't want to go 1-0 up and change to a mentality of defending, but we've done it, so I can't say it hasn't happened.
“But then if you are going to defend, we have to defend better than we did. We gave a few chances, but we still look vulnerable towards the end of the game, and that's hugely disappointing.”
Is there a softness which has crept into your team now?
“I don't know, I think it's an easy one to label. Certainly, the dark arts, I don't think it went late enough in the game for necessarily that aspect of our game not to function.
“I think the first goal we conceded, I think self-inflicted. It's not good enough, through minimal threat in my opinion. And of course the second goal is an individual error with very little time left in the game. There's no way we should have lost that game.
“We had a younger team today, but that's no excuse. There's enough experienced internationals on the pitch to navigate the defensive aspect well enough. But we certainly haven't defended well since the turn of the year.
“Our numbers conceded has been uncharacteristic for us and it's something we've focused on and we'll have to continue to do.”
Is it fair to say that that probably wasn't the reaction you wanted?
“No, of course the result wasn't. I think 60 minutes into the game for the away team, I thought we were pretty comfortable. Aaron's made a good double save in the first half, but apart from that I thought we controlled the game.
“And the disappointing thing for our perspective is we didn't create more, we didn't have more shots. Certainly we've turned down a few long-range shooting opportunities, so that was disappointing for us.
“We scored a great goal and we got our noses in front, which is the hardest thing to do. But we didn't really capitalise on that. There wasn't that authority and confidence in that second half to say, let's go on and score more.
“But I thought there were some positives in the performance today, but it gets lost in the result.”
And what about the penalty at the end?
“I think it's a soft penalty, but once the referee gives it, I don't think he's going to overturn it. Sven has a piece of the shirt of Lerma. I don't think it's necessarily too much, but it happened, and it was a poor goal to concede.”
Do you look at yourself in terms of the tactical set-up in the game?
“Always, yes. I always have to look at myself first. I always say that I'm number one accountable. The tactical set-up was good, we were leading the game.
“For the away team, again, I thought we were in a good position, I thought we'd play some good football. But we individually didn't do our jobs well enough in those moments in the second half.
“Mateta made a difference, his physicality, I don't think we dealt with him well enough. And the game got away from us in the latter stages.
“Still, we should have come away with a point, which I know isn't necessarily what we came here for. We came here to win. But of course, I never shy away from taking the accountability and responsibility, I always do that.”
Woltemade and Wissa were on the bench, that’s a big amount of money spent on those two players?
“I don't pick the team based on transfer fees, I have to pick the team based on what I see.
“I thought Will Osula was training well, I think he deserved to start today, I thought he played well. I thought he was, again, a real positive coming out of the game, I thought he took his goal well.
“He's got the physical attributes, the determination to do really well. He's improving, I think week, week out, so I was delighted with his performance.”
Some of the fans left early and didn't wait for the team to come over. Is there a danger of apathy?
“I thought the our supporters were really good with us today. Yes, I understand there's anger and frustration, I'm not blind to anything, but I think the majority stayed.
“I think they can see the team is trying, I don't think there's a lack of effort. But obviously, we're not performing as we want to perform.”
14 Premier League defeats this season, what is it going to take to turn it around?
“I think we're in a position where we've had some disappointing results. I think confidence is a bit fragile, naturally, with the results that we've had.
“Football is such a strange game, things go against you and just the momentum is lost. A few games ago, the momentum was there. It's an amazing thing, and it's so fragile in terms of its balance.
“Today was a game we could have won, possibly should have won, we don't. The momentum continues to go against us. The only way you can break that is to train really well, and from my perspective, coach really well and try and inspire the players, and the players then deliver when the heat's on.”
There was a flatness about the performance, despite the training time?
“Yeah, I think it was that kind of game, though. I think it's difficult always is against Crystal Palace, because they play with quite a compact team. They're not that expansive, they've got five at the back.
“In some respects, I think it followed a pattern that we've played against them previously. Of course, we didn't get our attacking game going as we want. We want to create more, we want to shoot more. We turned down a lot of shooting opportunities today, which frustrates the life out of me.
“Of course we're frustrated with ourselves right now, but we have to respond in the only way that we can.”
Are you concerned that the same trends keep on happening?
“Yeah, of course. It's something that we've spoke about, we've worked on. It's not something the players want to deliver, of course. Sometimes you try and pinpoint something that's happening like that, and it's very difficult to actually diagnose one or two areas, because it becomes self-inflicting the more you think about it, the more it happens.
“We had this with our away form, where everything that was discussed was our away form. We turned it around, we were able to win a few games, we didn't change anything. The players went and delivered.
“There's no reason why we shouldn't be able to protect a lead and continue to go on and score more goals. That's the instruction we give the players, to keep attacking, to keep playing the same way. We always want an attacking mindset regardless of the scoreline.
“Then, of course, there's moments in the game where you have to defend well... the dark arts, whatever you want to say, just be really clinical in your defending. We haven't done that well enough. We certainly haven't, and we've conceded too many goals.”
When you look at the areas the team has struggled in this season, can that be fixed between now and the end of the season, or do you need the summer?
“I think you can improve things. I'm a big believer in that, you can improve anything with good work, with conscientious attitude, with good delivery.
“Sometimes personnel is the only thing that changes something, but we have to work with the personnel that we have, and we're very proud to do that. I think we've got a really good squad.”
What do you think this result means in terms of the Premier League season?
“I don't know in terms of where it leaves us, I've not digested that. I think where it leaves us is we're desperately disappointed to lose again. We have to respond, we've got games to come, and then we need to win.”
Do you need to change things, or is it just executing the ideas better?
“For me, I think you always have to try and improve what you're doing, and of course there are moments where you need to change, but I think that can be very difficult for the players to do mid-season, and we've got six games left, I think that might be negative.
“I think improving what we deliver is huge, and I think there's a real willingness from the players to do that. I don't see a team with a bad attitude, I see a team with a good attitude that's just struggling with confidence.
“I don't think we're seeing the very best of the individuals within the team. Some players are just back from injury and will continue to get better, no doubt about that, but we're not where we want to be, we're well aware of that, and that worked for me today.”
So you think you’re on the right course and things will correct?
“As I've said many times, football is such a strange game, sometimes you'd be really close to finding something that works, even though the perception is you're miles away.
“We played half a football against Barcelona, it was as good a team as I've taken anywhere, I thought we were magnificent for 45 minutes, and we end up losing the game 7-2, and the reality is very negative.
“A couple of games ago, we beat Chelsea away, we beat Manchester United, and now you sit here off the back of a disappointing run, and of course the outside noise is to change everything.
“I think sometimes you've got to believe in what you do, but of course we have to execute it better.”
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