The atmosphere at St James’ Park turned toxic following the full-time whistle against Bournemouth, with fans booing a side that has now lost eight of its last 11 Premier League fixtures.
Amid intense speculation linking key figures like Gordon to Liverpool and Tonali to Manchester United, Howe has made it clear that he will not tolerate any lack of focus from his squad during this turbulent period.
Speaking on the growing sense of negativity surrounding the club, head coach Howe said: “What I will say is that what I see from the players is total commitment. I know the media will have different stories coming out at different times, I think that comes with the territory, as I’ve said many times, with us currently. It’s not something I want or encourage. I want players totally fixed and here emotionally and physically because I think you can’t do both.”