Newcastle United duo Lewis Hall and Harvey Barnes were not named in England’s squad for this summer’s World Cup finals.
Harvey Barnes has challenged Newcastle United to learn from an ‘up and down season’ and insisted there should be nothing further said on manager Eddie Howe’s future at St James Park.
Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Fulham ensured the Magpies ended an underwhelming campaign sitting in the bottom half of the Premier League table after securing a Champions League spot on the back of their historic Carabao Cup final win against Liverpool just 12 months earlier.
There were some positives to take from the season as United reached the knockout stages of the Champions League for the first time in their history and enjoyed a run to the semi-final of the Carabao Cup before a defeat against Manchester City ended any thoughts of retaining their grip on the trophy.
However, a lack of consistency in performances and results have left a feeling of disappointment and frustration for many supporters and there have been questions asked over whether a change is needed in the dugout as Howe has struggled to find a balance in his side throughout the season. Former Leicester City winger Barnes refuted such a suggestion and described Howe as ‘an amazing manager’ despite admitting there were some ‘difficult’ times experienced throughout the season.
He told Sky Sports: “It was an up and down season. Obviously, some amazing memories and some amazing times but also some difficult ones. It was one to look back on, to learn a lot from and take a lot from. You look at the impact he (Howe) has had on the club and the history we’ve made, it’s been amazing. He’s an amazing manager and I don’t think anything needs to be said on that.”
Difficult
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Despite his side’s underwhelming form throughout the season, Barnes racked up some impressive statistics after scoring 16 goals and providing six assists in 57 appearances in all competitions. His form led to a first England call-up in five-and-a-half years and the winger earned his second cap in a 1-1 friendly draw with Uruguay in March. However, much like Magpies team-mate Lewis Hall, his name was absent from the 26-man squad Thomas Tuchel named for this summer’s World Cup finals on Friday morning - and Barnes has admitted he always felt he was facing an uphill battle to make the cut after remaining on the fringes of the Three Lions scene for so long prior to his most recent call-up.
He said: “You’re always hopeful and you are hopeful your club form can get you in there. You look at the squad that’s going, the bunch of players that have gone and that have missed out as well, it was never going to be easy to get in, especially when I hadn’t been in for so long. But I’ll keep working and hopefully get back in next season. Every player wants to play on the international stage so I have to keep working and improving and hopefully force a way back in.”
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