Eddie Howe admitted that players had not taken on board instructions to find a second goal against Crystal Palace on an afternoon a Toon backroom member was seen debating tactics with Tino Livramento
17:19, 15 Apr 2026Updated 17:19, 15 Apr 2026
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe(Image: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Newcastle United legend John Anderson feels that Eddie Howe’s backroom team could do with a refresh.
The former United defender watched on at Selhurst Park in dismay as Newcastle once again threw away a slender lead and collapsed at the end of their first Premier League outing in three weeks. Despite Palace having nothing to play for, Newcastle players were unable to add to William Osula’s opener.
And actually managed to find a way to lose a game against a Palace team that had previously won just three times at home. Howe’s Bournemouth backroom team remain by his side while Graeme Jones and Martin Mark are the only duo who weren’t with the ex-Cherries boss.
Anderson told BBC Radio Newcastle: “Players become stale doing the same things week in, week out.
“Sir Alex Ferguson was very set in his ways and old-school, but he knew the game was moving forward, so every couple of years he would bring someone in with fresh ideas to keep players evolving.
Former Newcastle defender John Anderson, now a Radio Newcastle pundit
“I think he [manager Eddie Howe] needs to bring somebody in with newer ideas and that’s nothing against his training regime – just players like something different.
“You look at Eddie Howe’s backroom staff and they’ve all been with him for an awful lot of years. They were all with him at Bournemouth.
“I just think sometimes you need a fresh pair of eyes as well. They all see things in a similar fashion. A fresh pair of eyes might see things a little differently.
“Freshening up not just the playing side of it, but the coaching side of it as well, may well help.”
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