- Eddie Howe speaks on Crystal Palace defeat
- Magpies boss under pressure as ugly stat emerges
- Verdict on Sven Botman foul that led to penalty
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has reacted to the defeat against Crystal Palace with strong words on both Sven Botman’s conceded penalty and an unwanted dropped points statistic, which has plagued the Magpies when in winning positions all season.
Howe’s side fell to defeat courtesy of a Jean-Philippe Mateta brace in a game that could have large implications for Newcastle’s slim hopes of European qualification for next season.
A lacklustre second-half display was once again the undoing of Newcastle. The Magpies held a 1-0 lead at the break but were punished by the Eagles for not showing enough in the second period.
Eddie Howe on ‘incredible’ Newcastle United trend
Newcastle were ahead until the 80th minute but ultimately lost the game. It’s a story all too familiar to fans and those involved with the club alike this season.
In fact, the defeat saw Newcastle break a rather unwanted record. It took the tally of points dropped from winning positions across the Premier League season to 25. This marks the highest total by a club in Premier League history.
When asked about this in the post-match interview, Howe said: “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’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.”
Newcastle have shown a tendency to sit off once having gone in front. This has led to a dismal record of holding on to leads.
If Howe is correct in his admission that he hasn’t instilled that tactical intricacy into the gameplan, then the mentality of the players is likely the main cause for concern.
Eddie Howe on ‘soft’ penalty
It was the 94th minute when Palace got their penalty. The ball was launched towardd the Newcastle box from a long throw. Jefferson Lerma looked to break from Botman, but the Newcastle man pulled his shirt in rather stupid fashion, and Lerma fell to the floor. Andy Madley had no choice but to point to the spot.
Despite the seemingly obvious nature of the foul, Howe wasn’t exactly enamoured with the decision. He said: “I feel it was soft, but once the referee gives it, I don’t think he’s going to overturn it.
“Sven has grabbed his shirt; I don’t think there’s a lot in it, but it was given. It was a hugely disappointing end to the game; it was so late it gave us no time to do anything about it. We’ve gifted them a goal really.”
Botman has faced some criticism for his performances this season. His decision to pull back Lerma won’t have done much to re-endear him to the Geordie faithful.
In other news, What Newcastle United striker did at full-time after Crystal Palace defeat is ‘unforgivable’.
