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Eddie Howe draws parallels to top-four season as Newcastle rediscover their mojo
EDDIE HOWE claims his Newcastle United side will head into the international break having rediscovered the ‘momentum’ that powered them to the Champions League two seasons ago.
Yesterday’s 3-1 win at Nottingham Forest completed an excellent week-and-a-half that has also seen the Magpies beat Chelsea to set up a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Brentford and see off Arsenal at St James’ Park.
Howe’s side needed an away success to prove their resurgence was not confined to Tyneside, and it arrived in thrilling fashion as Newcastle overturned a half-time deficit to triumph over Forest.
Alexander Isak fired his side level with a clinical close-range finish, before Joelinton and Harvey Barnes rounded off fine counter-attacking moves to make the win safe.
“We’re very pleased,” said Howe, whose non-international players will head off to Saudi Arabia this week for a warm-weather training break. “We needed some momentum. We always say how quickly football can change, and your fortunes can turn, so getting three wins is great, and there’s been a totally different feel about the team in those three games as well, I think.
“I was really pleased today because in an away game, going 1-0 down, to come back in the way that we did is a big moment for us. We had a good look about the team.
“We trailed at half-time, and I thought we needed to be more direct with our attacking, and I thought we were much better with that in the second half. I thought we deservedly scored the goals we did, because we were well on top.”
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Howe reserved special praise for Joelinton, whose barnstorming midfield display typified his side’s spirited and committed approach.
The Brazilian started the game in an advanced attacking position down the left-hand side, but ended it on the right as Howe shuffled his resources in the final third.
His goal was a cracker, with Joelinton receiving the ball from Isak, stepping inside Anthony Elanga, and bending a brilliant long-range strike into the bottom left-hand corner.
“Joey’s just an amazing player,” said Howe, whose side have already picked up eight points from losing positions this season, having only claimed ten from similar situations in the whole of last term. “He went from left wing to right wing, which wasn’t something we had necessarily pre-planned.
“I felt it was needed in the game, really to try to get Anthony (Gordon) into the game more. Joey goes to the right, and just does a good job wherever you put him.
“He’s got that attitude, he doesn’t care where he is as long as he’s on the pitch. He scored a great goal – it was a great left-footed finish – and it was probably the key moment in the game.
“I was right behind it, and I could see the ball leave his foot, but I actually had someone blocking my vision so I didn’t actually see it hit the net, I just saw the reaction. But it was a great moment and a great feeling, and I’m really pleased for Joe because he’s someone who always gives 100 per cent and never lets the team down.”
