Eddie Howe reveals Newcastle United squad goals
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Howe will be without Allan Saint-Maximin and Alexander Isak for the foreseeable future, while Callum Wilson had a spell out after suffering an injury in August. However, Howe’s sixth-placed team have only lost one Premier League game so far this season.
And Howe believes that form says a lot about the strength in depth he has at the club – and the spirit that has been fostored in the dressing room.
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Hide AdAsked about the team’s form without Isak and Saint-Maximin, United’s head coach said: “It says a lot about the squad as a whole. It’s not just 11 players, it’s about the whole group. We’ve had players come in off the back of those injuries, and been given an opportunity that I think they’ve grasped. That then makes us a stronger group when we do get everybody back fit.
"Everyone feels part of the team. It’s a very positive thing for us. If you can get results whilst picking up injuries, all the better for everyone connected with the squad. I do recognise that we do need those players back, and we do need to be at full strength, because the competition’s so high.”
Newcastle are away to third-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Howe’s relegation-threatened team lost 5-1 in the corresponding fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April before embarking on a four-game winning streak, and Howe believes that afternoon, disappointing as it was, set the team up for the run-in.
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Hide Ad“As much as it was painful at the time, I actually think it helped us for the run-in, and for the remaining games we had, and played its part in helping us stay in the division,” said Howe.
Newcastle beat Everton 1-0 in midweek, and Howe said: "Wednesday really impressed me. Not because of free-flowing football, or in possession, but our general attitude and performance defensively. The second half, I thought, was at the very highest level. To keep Everton to one shot speaks volumes for that."