Eddie Howe has come under fire for his post-match interview at Crystal Palace
07:50, 13 Apr 2026Updated 07:52, 13 Apr 2026
Eddie Howe, manager of Newcastle United, spoke to TNT Sports at half-time
Eddie Howe normally speaks very well. Win or lose, he rarely gets too high or let his emotions run away in the heat of a post-match Press conference or interview. He is the very definition of a Steady Eddie.
It’s a far cry from the soundbites that some Newcastle United managers of the past have come out with. There will certainly be no Kevin Keegan style ‘I’d love it’ rants from Howe during his Tyneside tenure.
It’s a welcome trait in an era when every word you utter is pored over by media, fans and pundits alike. Especially when you are under pressure and struggling to get performances out of your team, which is where the Magpies manager is now.
He probably felt he was in a safe space with the club’s in-house media when he gave an interview on the Selhurst Park touchline not long after the final whistle. However, it was one which got fans on social media fuming – with one word in particular angering supporters.
Newcastle had just thrown away another lead – making it 25 points lost from winning positions this season – after Jean-Phillippe Mateta’s late double for Crystal Palace cancelled out William Osula’s opener.
“We played pretty well in that first half, leading the game, and there was a lot of the performance I was pleased with,” said Howe. “Of course, at the end of the game we don’t defend well enough for that last 20 minutes, albeit I don’t think they had a load of chances.
“It’s uncharacteristic of us again going on past history to defend like that.”
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Uncharacteristic. One word, but it was jumped on by those watching the video clip on social media.
To be fair to Howe, he did caveat it by saying ‘going on past history’ by which he surely means the last three years when Newcastle’s defensive record has, in the main, been good. In his first full campaign, United conceded a miserly 33 in the Premier League, followed by 62 in 2024/25 and then 47 last season.
That’s a tally already matched this season. Mateta’s double meant Newcastle have shipped 47 goals in the Premier League. Weak displays, physically and mentally, has seen a raft of late goals conceded which have prevented any real momentum being gained.
It’s interesting that the two seasons with Champions League football have seen 62 goals conceded and now 47 with six games to go. This time around, however, it’s not just the volume of goals but the nature and timing of them.
Howe must realise that this is now the norm. It is characteristic of this United team. When something happens so regularly, to call it uncharacteristic – even trying to caveat that by saying over a period of time – just won’t wash. It has become all too typical of Newcastle’s season.
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