It’s five defeats from six in the Premier League for Newcastle and they look like a team in relegation form in truth
Eddie Howe
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has made it clear that he will not accept a packed schedule as an excuse for the 2025/26 season fizzling out – something that the Magpies are now currently on the brink of in the Premier League.
Trips to Barcelona and plum ties in the FA Cup against Man City are all well and good, but should either cup run come to an abrupt end, as many bookmakers are forecasting, Newcastle have a tough job to resurrect their ailing top-flight campaign.
If Newcastle weren’t in the cups still, they would almost certainly be accused of having an eye on the beach ahead of their summer holidays as far as Premier League form is concerned. There is every chance the season could end up covered in glory but if they aren’t careful they could finish in the bottom half.
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Eddie Howe on the hectic schedule
Howe said: “I don’t like the word impossible regarding what we can achieve because it gives everyone a way out and an excuse. It’s difficult. Our schedule this season makes the one two years ago look easy.
“It puts a real stretch on our players, resources, energy levels and peak physical condition. There is no doubt players have gone into games tired and fatigued.
“We feel we’re a good team and we’ve made progress but then we step back from a point where you feel we’re moving forward.”
Eddie Howe on the run of five defeats from six
The head coach said: “When you get a blip like this it feels abnormal. It’s hurting us. We pride ourselves on trying to give our supporters what they want and we’ve not been able to do that in recent games.”
Eddie Howe suggesting Newcastle would have snapped your hand off for this position a few years ago
The Magpies face Man United, Man City in the FA Cup, then Barcelona before a trip to Chelsea and the Nou Camp. Sunderland will wrap up the rest of March in a sequence of games that could make or break not only the season, but also the future at St James’ Park.
Howe said: “When you name the games we have, we have to be positive – we have to relish those games. We can’t play with fear.
“We have to attack the games and be as positive as we can be.
“If you’d have said a few years ago this would be our next run of fixtures, you’d have bitten your hand off to be in that position. We are in that position.
“We have to play games with our brain to say don’t look backwards – look forwards.”
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