Eddie Howe gives honest verdict on his opening 10 games as Newcastle United head coach

The 44-year-old has won one of his opening 10 games since being appointed back in November.

Newcastle currently sit 19th in the Premier League table, two points from safety and were also knocked out of the FA Cup following a third round defeat to League One side Cambridge United St James’s Park.

Howe’s record of one win in his opening 10 games mirrors that of previous Newcastle managers Steve McClaren and Kevin Keegan during his second spell in charge.

But it was never going to be an easy task for the former Bournemouth boss as he looks to guide Newcastle to survival against the odds.

And with The Magpies dropping yet more points on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against Watford, Howe admitted it has been a disappointing start for him in terms of results.

“I’m certainly [disappointed] in terms of the win column,” he said. “I'm really disappointed by that fact because I look at some of the games we've drawn and you go back to even Norwich with 10 men, a game we should have won.

"The game [on Saturday] and other games we've ended up drawing, you think in different moments, looking for the second goal in games, we seem content with one and that is never enough.

"We need to keep our attacking intent through the game. Maybe in the last five minutes I understand it's slightly different but it's so disappointing and [there is] lots to improve.”

Saturday’s draw saw Newcastle miss the opportunity to move out of the relegation zone for the first time since Howe arrived at the club.

But with two weeks left in the transfer window and 18 games remaining in the 2021-22 season, the United head coach still has a bit of time on his side.

“We know [Saturday] will damage ourselves to a point but you always have an opportunity [to turn things around],” Howe added.

"We're into the second half of the season now to bounce back but the games don't get any smaller, they get bigger with every match.”

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