Newcastle United were second best all afternoon in a dismal derby day display, falling to a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
An own goal from Nick Woltemade in the early stages of the second half gave the hosts the lead, whilst we simply couldn’t string together any big chances as we produced arguably our worst performance of the season.
All eyes are now onto Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup quarter-final against Fulham, which has become an even more must-win game to salvage what has been a rather mixed December so far.
Here’s what Eddie Howe had to say after today’s unacceptable display on Wearside.
Howe issues post-match apology
Speaking after Sunday’s game, Howe has apologised to the fans for the disappointing display, and has tried to dissect just what went so wrong for us today.
Bar a battling performance from Bruno Guimaraes in the second half, the entire team was toothless, failing to really challenge Robin Roefs throughout the 90 and losing far too many duels.
Reacting to the nightmare result that will “sting for a long time”, Howe said:
“That will sting for a long time. We know our performance was off what we needed to to be. Not defensively, we defended well. It was a game of few chances.”
“Unfortunately, the one big moment goes against us, it was a bizarre moment. But we weren’t good enough to open them up.
“I am disappointed for the supporters and sorry for our performance, for a lack of goalmouth action and clinical attacking. It certainly wasn’t a lack of effort.”
“But the first 60 minutes I don’t think we posed a threat at all. It wasn’t the finest day for any of our front players. The openings were there, with a better decision or pass. The quality was not there in that phase of the game.
“The changes had a positive impact but we didn’t work their goalkeeper anywhere near enough. We didn’t sustain the pressure enough. Losing is a horrible feeling and this is painful.”
Howe insists on staying calm after defeat
The manager has asked for the fans to remain calm after Sunday’s defeat, and to continue to back the lads ahead of some huge games still to come in December.
It’s our fourth defeat in our last nine games across all competitions, and the team’s performance today was a far cry from the display shown when we beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City last month. Howe seems to think that today was just a rare blip in performance from many of his key players, and that we will indeed bounce back from this.
“We’ve got to be careful that we don’t jump to sort of attach things to the performance,”
“We’ve lost a game and we know we haven’t played well enough but I don’t think it was the level of performance of Brentford and West Ham.
“I don’t think it was even near those levels. I think it wasn’t our finest but there was a lot of good to take depending on which side of the game we’re looking at. I can say off the ball I thought we were very good. So no, I don’t think it was that.”
Naturally, a performance like what we saw unfold at the Stadium of Light will invite plenty of criticism towards the players, and Howe has acknowledged and accepted the fans’ inevitable frustration.
“Criticism comes with every defeat, but of course with this one I think it will be louder and stronger just because of the game and the importance of the game. And we fully acknowledge that and that’s why it hurts so much. I’m so disappointed for our supporters and sorry for the performance.”
Addressing the players’ collective efforts, Howe has challenged the idea that there was a lack of effort, insisting his players gave everything on Sunday.
“Yes, I think the easy thing is to say no. You lost the game and we’re frustrated, but I don’t think anyone’s gone out there with any intention other than trying to win the game and give their best.”
“Was there possibly a bit of fatigue in our performance? Yes, not an excuse, just the reality.”
Today was absolutely on the same level as West Ham & Brentford. Those games we actually scored a goal, and this game had far more riding on it. Fulham on Wednesday is utterly irrelevant in the grand scheme as even Chelsea on Saturday is more important!
Scott(Quote)
Ah well…thats okay then. Not as bad as West ham or Brentford. Phew, and I thought it was a bad day. Apparently not that bad after all.
Scott(Quote)
Howe has no plan B, he needs to take a good look at how Unai Emery operates and see why he was the first choice for the Newcastle job.
This performance was far from a one off unfortunately and we get the same rhetoric from him I think he has taken Newcastle as far as he can. (which he deserves some credit for)
Our players were gutless and went into their lethargic mode yet again.
Our midfield lacks cohesion and creativity and we don’t have any forwards that know their position in the forward line is and what their role is.
As for Elanga..a waste of space should have been hooked before half time.
This isn’t written because we lost today but a culmination of rotten performances.
Joseph(Quote)
If anyone’s looking for their level, Newcastle just found it
I’m just a bit of a ********(Quote)
He needs to be sack and the big lump ov rubbish up front need to go back to wherever he come from
Martin Spalding(Quote)
If Howe is still waiting for Elanga to come good we have no f…..g chance!
Joseph(Quote)
Looks like we’re all coming to an agreement: It’s time to change the manager. Need to freshen things up. But Howe deserves respect for what he’s achieved.
Howe out(Quote)
Is the bit blanked out in your name Obsessive ?
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
Feel sorry for the lad his confidence has gone and why anyone would pick a player in a derby lacking confidence is beyond me.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
Absolutely glorious:-
What excuse is there for him?
1. He hasn’t done an Isak and not trained at his previous club.
2. He isn’t new to the Premier League.
3. If he is lacking in confidence what are the coaching team doing to help the “poor lad”
4. He has missed a preseason, well what is he doing on a daily basis with the players he has trained with for months.
5. It’s not about the Derby either he has shown nothing since missing a sitter against Villa.
6. He has just been an awful buy and a waste of £55m
Joseph(Quote)
calm down he’s a good player as his time at Forest proved i blame Howe 100 % for playing him in this game, i mean why would you pick a player with zero confidence in a derby where you have to be on it from the off, no way he was going to build his confidence in this game they become a slugfest he is not that type of player.
It also doesn’t help when the crowd get on his back just remember what Murphy was like and how much stick he got and how he is now.
Writing a player off in a tough season and getting on his back is pretty pathetic tbh but very predictable.
Lets hope he recovers and gets to what he was like at forest but i doubt it now the knives are out.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
Absolutely glorious:-
Won’t get back to anything like he was at Forest as the coaching staff don’t seem capable of playing a system that suits him or some others for that matter.
Woltemade gets very little support and he is a better player than he is being allowed to show due to the team system not playing to his strengths.
Joseph(Quote)
The only excuse for having a go at your own player is a lack of effort. A lethargic sulk is intolerable. Elanga is not that. You can argue all day that you pay your money and that entitles you to do what you like, but you’re just shooting yourself in the foot.
I am totally frustrated with the lack of return from Elanga. But watch his performances and it’s 90+% a confidence issue. On form with confidence, no player can catch him and he’s got great quality in the final third. Off form without confidence and he’s completely ineffective. The fans are the 12th man, and we can either build up a player to our benefit, or batter them down to prove “we are right”…and then presumably blame other factors when they go elsewhere and do great.
FWIW, I thought Hall was utterly useless in the few opportunities he had in his first season. He was ok going forward but a complete liability at the back. And I had no reference point for what he ‘could’ be. Look at him now. Do you think that would have been possible if I (and all other fans with similar doubts) were constantly berating him and writing him off? Maybe, but it certainly wouldn’t have made it more likely.
We should play our part and be constructive and push our club forwards.
Howe the toon(Quote)
Spot on mate. And absolutely glorious too ‘re he shouldn’t have played. He will come good if we as fans give him the chance to and if Howe gives him some protection. I get people saying he shouldn’t need it but he does, that’s where we are
There are much more established players who were as bad today that’s for sure
East Stand(Quote)
No he won’t get back to anything like he was at forest for 2 reasons one and i said this at the time he’s not the winger we were looking for, they played on the break and he’s good at that we play well who knows what we play Eddie doesn’t.
The second reason is people will just get on his case week in week out instead of supporting the players and the team.
We’re on a slippery slope now, a lot of fans have turned this season we’ll see if Eddie can sort it out.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
Yeah Elanga wasn’t the only one not at the races today totally agree.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
What is the team tactics or system we had one when we had Isak, if we’d got Ekitike in the summer i doubt we’d have these problems as it would have been like for like.
Instead we got a No. 10 and a No. 9 and Eddie loves a 4-3-3 but they won’t fit into that system. Wissa’s injury didn’t helpand Eddie seems to be trying to play BNW like a Isak or Ekitike he is neither of those guys.
Big Nick reminds me of the time when we bought Jon Dahl Tomasson a very promising No. 10 who went on to have a stellar career and played him as a striker due to our lack of one at the time.
It ruined him here let’s hope that won’t happen to big Nick.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
On Howe, I’m definitely not one wanting him out but he does need to adapt. Two things for me – firstly he must rotate more. After a high intensity game away in the CL, 2 changes isn’t enough. And it wasn’t a one off. Keep the back 4 by all means (and we don’t have any options anyway with injuries) but need I’d say 4 of the midfield \ forwards changed.
Then the biggest issue – formation. I think he’s worried about changing without time on the training ground to implement it, but it’s not working away at all. We have the players for 4 2 3 1…or go to 5 3 2 when a couple of defender return. Both would allow BNW and Wissa to play together if needed, nothing to lose Eddie and it might kick start us like switching Tonali and Bruno did this time last season
East Stand(Quote)
I feel for Howe. I think you look at our team and there aren’t that many goals or creativity there. Wolte isn’t a striker and when you look at his goals, not too many of them are obviously repeatable. Barnes is the only obvious player who really can consistently threaten to score.
Given our players, you kind of think we can only play on the counter. We could shift our formation that way, but if the other team score first and then sit back then we are pretty stuffed.
The Emeri references ring hollow, they were rubbish until Morgan Rogers hit form – that guy is an unbelievable player who can create, score and dominate the game – we simply don’t have a player like that.
I think (to one of East Stand’s point) we should focus on intensity. Howe knows how to deploy that and we have that in the squad – and we have a fan base that resonate with that style of play. Benitez, at Liverpool, would say he knows what his team would be for a game weeks away – because he had mapped out rotations and stress levels on players to be formulaic. That was probably not really the true reality but I think the essence was true. I think Howe should really lean into that (a couple of months ago we played the two Brazilians a couple of days after a long haul flight – they were unsurprisingly pretty **** that day). Make intensity a non negotiable and then work out how to rotate the squad such that it happens. If we lose after going hell for leather I will be able to appreciate that more than a passive nothing performance.
Howe the toon(Quote)
Totally agree regarding Elanga. Blame the person who signed him when he doesn’t suit the style of play. Blame the person who started him in a derby when he’s low on confidence.
Howe out(Quote)
Agreed
Howe the toon(Quote)
Agree with a lot you’re saying and regarding our intensity I mentioned in a post somewhere that we seem to have lost our intensity since Bunce arrived the up side of his arrival has been less injuries.
Personally I’d prefer the intensity back.
Howe does need to sort out a system and tactics that suit our squad and I don’t think 4-3-3 is it with the players we have now.
Absolutely glorious(Quote)
I’m afraid Simon Jordon
Whom I can’t abide is absolutely correct 💯
Eddie is the Gate keeper.
Time to bring in the Lord of the Manner .
Repeating after match excuse.fatigue .not at our best .scratching my head .
The fans must be patient.
It’s like listening to a drunken sailor.
End will come by before the new broom invests in January.
trevor(Quote)
It’s to early to say Newcastle are going backwards under Howe but come February if the assorted problems with squad, tactics , organisation and player confidence ..persist a conversation involving potential changes are necessary .. if we are not in Europe next season either champs or europa it will be a failure
Mike(Quote)
I understand the patience and part of me respects it. But, in my opinion, the longer the board waits to replace Howe, the more likely it is the best players will push to leave. Botman and Livramento are in contract talks. It’s sounding and looking like they’ve already had their heads turned. Meanwhile, the same players are being let down every game: Bruno, Hall, Thiaw. They’re the best players every game. I don’t expect them to hang around, particularly Bruno. They deserve better, as do the fans.
Howe out(Quote)
What kind of a supporter are you that hurls racist abuse at a player at the first serious mistake he makes? Have you never made any mistakes in your work? The players are humans, mostly very young, and if you want to criticise their playing in some sort of coherent way, do so, but personal attacks say more about you than they do about the player.
Katherine Quirke(Quote)
Def agree that the performance was woeful and embarrassing- any decent Championship team could have beaten us and I’m sure the players are utterly embarrassed as well but with big games ahead they need more support & confidence not less. Too early to consider changing the manager but he does need to look at some of his decisions and tactics very carefully.
Birdman(Quote)
Unai Emery salary is 8 mil per year. Eddie is way less than that. So you paid peanuts to get monkies. Sticking to the same so called stars like Gordon and Elanga and Woltmade for 70 mins even though they had been awful throughout, same tactics and strategy for every matches even when losing, spoke volume about a manager with no ambition and no fire only suitable to lead a championship team. He has to go. Provided the so-called rich club owners with pauper like management spend big to find a world class manager .
J(Quote)
-Elanga doesn’t suit the style of play
-Ramsey generally looks bad (Forest exploited Newcastle’s PSR issues; looks like Newcastle have done the opposite to Villa)
-Woltemade lacks both speed and physicality and therefore probably doesn’t suit the Premier League (he looks like a luxury player – an Ozil -but there’s a chance it can work if a new manager doesn’t put him up top on his own).
£165m at risk. Sold Anderson for £15m. Signed Vlachidimos for £20m. Now potentially wasted the Isak money.
The current squad can do alright in open games (a lot of space to run into – Barcelona, Liverpool, Man City), but in closed games, this squad massively lacks creativity/flair/technical ability.
The only solution, with this current squad, is to create chances via fast aggressive pressing. But Howe keeps on playing Woltemade up top on his own. He’s built a squad of runners, to a large extent. Then signed Woltemade. Then put Woltemade up top on his own and therefore ditched aggressive pressing and fast transitions. The result? Slow, boring, predictable, easy-to-defend-against football. And that’s what we’ve been seeing all season, excluding a few (open) games. It’s not entertaining at all.
Howe out(Quote)
Just a few points;
-Elanga’s an exact replica of Murphyin his Forest form but hasn’t produced that form yet
-Anderson was 35m not 15m
-Wissa was signed as CF (hence the no 9 shirt) and if he hadn’t been injured would have been starting as first choice. His game is much better suited as Isaak replacement but clearly isn’t fit yet. When he is he’ll be up top and will change the dynamic
-with 2 games a week they can’t play with the same intensity as last season otherwise we’re gooses with muscle strains. With so many games the players are in recovery the day after a game then the day after that is prep for the next game. So we don’t get the intensity in training either. That’s just common sense. Slot said the same thing earlier in the season explaining why Isaak isn’t up to speed yet
Keith(Quote)