Newcastle United drop 18-year-old call-up hint v Nottingham Forest after Man City U-turn & £40m injury blow
Eddie Howe could only take one ‘big positive’ from Newcastle United’s 4-0 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.
Omar Marmoush’s first-half hat-trick and a late strike from James McAtee saw City run out as convincing winners at the Etihad Stadium as Newcastle dropped to seventh in the Premier League table with a third defeat in four league games.
While there were few positives for Newcastle to take from the game, Howe was keen to highlight Lewis Miley’s second-half display after being introduced for Joe Willock at half-time. Kieran Trippier also went off at half-time with Tino Livramento coming on in his place - Howe insisted all substitutions he made during the match were tactical and not injury-related.
“Yes, I think the big positive today is Lewis' performance in that second half,” Howe said. “He showed not just bravery out of possession in terms of winning duels and covering the pitch, but in terms of taking the ball and showing composure and making the right decisions, which we didn't make enough of.
“So, he can be very proud of his performance, but some of us need to look at him and he led the way.”
Lewis Miley in contention to start v Nottingham Forest
Miley is yet to start a Premier League match this season with his only two starts coming in the FA Cup. His 45 minutes at the Etihad Stadium were the longest he’s been on the pitch in a single league game this season.
And with Joelinton set to be injured for the next two matches, the 18-year-old has a good opportunity to get in the side after impressing Howe on Saturday. Newcastle host Nottingham Forest at St James’ Park next Sunday in a game that is shaping up to be crucial in the battle for European qualification.
Forest sit third in the table, six points ahead of Newcastle in seventh.
Newcastle United looking to bounce back after a ‘poor’ run in the Premier League
Newcastle’s impressive cup form has somewhat clouded a worrying downturn of form in the Premier League when it comes to performances. The Magpies have lost three of their last four matches against teams around them in the Premier League table with their only win coming against bottom-of-the-table Southampton.
Howe’s side have also conceded 11 goals in their last four league games having conceded just once in the six games previously.
“I don't think we're perfect, we're far from it,” Howe admitted. “I think we have days where we can look far from the team that we are when we're on it, and it's a real frustration for us because to be an elite team, you've got to be consistent, you've got to figure out ways to be competitive, even if you're not feeling your best or as cohesive as you want to be.
“Certainly [against Manchester City], it looked like a difficult start to the game for us, but then we never responded really in that first half. It was a tough half to watch, I thought we were much better in the second period, but the game was gone.”