Eddie Howe reveals Newcastle United squad goals

Eddie Howe's been badly hit by injuries this season at Newcastle United – but those absences haven’t hit the team’s form.
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Howe will be without Allan Saint-Maximin and Alexander Isak for the foreseeable future, while Callum Wilson had a spell out after suffering an injury in August. However, Howe’s sixth-placed team have only lost one Premier League game so far this season.

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And Howe believes that form says a lot about the strength in depth he has at the club – and the spirit that has been fostored in the dressing room.

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Asked about the team’s form without Isak and Saint-Maximin, United’s head coach said: “It says a lot about the squad as a whole. It’s not just 11 players, it’s about the whole group. We’ve had players come in off the back of those injuries, and been given an opportunity that I think they’ve grasped. That then makes us a stronger group when we do get everybody back fit.

"Everyone feels part of the team. It’s a very positive thing for us. If you can get results whilst picking up injuries, all the better for everyone connected with the squad. I do recognise that we do need those players back, and we do need to be at full strength, because the competition’s so high.”

Newcastle are away to third-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Howe’s relegation-threatened team lost 5-1 in the corresponding fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in April before embarking on a four-game winning streak, and Howe believes that afternoon, disappointing as it was, set the team up for the run-in.

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe embraces goalscorer Miguel Almiron at Craven Cottage earlier this month.Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe embraces goalscorer Miguel Almiron at Craven Cottage earlier this month.
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe embraces goalscorer Miguel Almiron at Craven Cottage earlier this month.
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“As much as it was painful at the time, I actually think it helped us for the run-in, and for the remaining games we had, and played its part in helping us stay in the division,” said Howe.

Newcastle beat Everton 1-0 in midweek, and Howe said: "Wednesday really impressed me. Not because of free-flowing football, or in possession, but our general attitude and performance defensively. The second half, I thought, was at the very highest level. To keep Everton to one shot speaks volumes for that."