Eddie Howe says his side should not feel burdened by expectations as Newcastle take on Arsenal
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‘They should be enjoying where we are and enjoying every second’: Eddie Howe says third-placed Newcastle shouldn’t feel weighed down by expectations as they travel to take on high-flying Arsenal
- Eddie Howe’s first game in charge of Newcastle was against Arsenal
- His team lost 2-0 that day, but since then he has been completely transformed.
- Newcastle now sit in third place with Arsenal at the top of the league
- Howe wants his high-flying Newcastle to “believe they can win every game”
Eddie Howe says Newcastle will return to the scene of their first game in Arsenal’s dugout as a transformed team.
It was November of last year when Howe, having missed his planned debut against Brentford due to Covid-19, took charge of the Magpies at the Emirates and saw his team soundly beaten 2-0. That left Newcastle bottom of the Premier League and Arsenal fifth. Tomorrow they meet the Gunners up and the visitors in third.
Howe’s team during those early months was prepared to contain and play counter-attacking as they moved away from the relegation zone. Now, they are taking the game to the opposition and have won eight of the last 10. That will be the same tactic they will adopt tomorrow night.
‘They should be enjoying where we are’: Eddie Howe said his side should feel no pressure
“There are points within a game where you might be looking towards containment and trying to hold things together for a while, but I don’t think it would work to have that mentality as a starting point,” Howe said.
‘How do you grow if that is your constant way of approaching these types of games? I’m not sure you can. We have tended not to follow that path. We want players to believe that they can win every game, and to do that, you have to prepare like you believe you can win. So, we try to be consistent with that.
“For me, players shouldn’t be overwhelmed by expectations or any other kind of emotions. They should be enjoying where we are and enjoying every second as long as they stick together and give it their all to continue to deliver consistent results.’
Reflecting on last season’s game, he added: ‘That day (first game at Arsenal), we were in a totally different place, and we were understanding the group.
‘It was a difficult afternoon. I thought Arsenal were better than us and we weren’t good enough to get a result. What is pleasing is that in those first difficult days, when we did not obtain the results and things went against us, the group did not fracture or lose faith. Those early days, though difficult for all of us, were pivotal.’
Newcastle have improved a lot this year and currently hold a place in the Champions League
Newcastle are currently third in the Premier League and will face high-flying Arsenal next.
