It was business as usual for Eddie Howe and Newcastle after last week’s blip at home to Bournemouth, with a convincing away win against Ivan Juric’s Southampton keeping us firmly in the race for Champions League football.

It was a game with many talking points for Howe to address: Miguel Almiron’s impending departure and on-field send off, the host’s performance, and addressing squad concerns about who makes his matchday XI and who misses out.

Take a read of Howe’s post-match comments below :

Miguel Almiron’s goodbye wave?

A late exclusive from the The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards seemingly confirmed that Miguel Almiron’s impending departure, claiming Newcastle have now agreed a fee with Atalanta United.

That said, there’s still uncertainty on just when Almiron will play his final minutes for the club, with Howe himself stressing that Almiron’s moment with the travelling fans was “not necessarily a goodbye.”

“It was just the crowd were very much embracing him and giving him a lot of love,” Howe said when asked about the post-match scenes.

“Miggy’s not that kind of character that’s got a huge ego that absorbs all the attention. But I just felt it was imperative that we got him to the front. And everyone acknowledged he’s been unbelievable for us. His attitude, his commitment, the way he’s played.”

“I’m not saying it’s a goodbye. We don’t know what’s going to happen. But I just thought it was a great moment for him.”

Starting XI strife?

Bruno Guimaraes, despite another strong performance in the midfield, showed some clear frustration with his substitution midway through the second half.

And now Howe has declared that squad selection may only get tougher and harsher heading into a big month of fixtures in February.

“It is a difficult team to get into at the moment. We have won 10 out of 11. So we have some very, very good players not playing and naturally frustrated. Bruno did not want to come off today.”

“He was feeling ill during the week and we felt it was only right just to try make sure we have him available for next week. So when you do get your chance on the pitch you have to play well.”

“I think that is my biggest message to everybody in the squad when you are upset when you get your chance on the pitch, you have to play well.”

Sandro stars again

One player who is unlikely to be displaced in the starting XI anytime soon is Sandro Tonali.

The Italian midfield maestro grabbed the Mags’ third goal of the afternoon, with the manager heaping praise on his main man in the middle.

“Sandro was magnificent today in every way really. His ball winning ability was second to none, that is what we want him to do and how we want him to play.”

“He scored a goal which will get headlines. It was a great goal to score and it showed his athleticism.”

“He has just become such an important player for us in a very quick time. I can’t praise him enough for today.”

Saints position “tells a lie”

Whilst it was a routine win for Newcastle, there were certainly moments when Southampton showed they are far better than their current Premier League position and points tally would have people believe.

An early opener from Bednarek and (disallowed) goal from Fernandes did expose some defensive frailties in the heart of the Newcastle defence.

Praising Southampton after the final whistle, Howe commented: “Southampton’s league position does tell a lie. They are much more competitive than it suggests.”