eddie Howe would later admit he was once no longer in point of fact thirsty however that failed to forestall Newcastle’s supervisor from unscrewing the highest of the small bottle of water in entrance of him and taking an extended, very gradual, sip. It was once such an obtrusive timewasting tactic that, by the point he put it again at the desk, laughter stuffed the room.
“I’m conveniently drinking my water,” Howe joked after being requested whether or not he would like to complete within the Premier League’s best 4 or win the Carabao Cup. The 45-year-old had it appears that evidently forgotten that, in an unguarded second, after closing Tuesday night time’s Carabao Cup win towards Bournemouth, he had admitted: “The Premier League’s our priority.”
And so it without a doubt will have to be. With Newcastle 3rd as the highest tier resumes after its hiatus for the World Cup, a spot in subsequent season’s Champions League will have to really feel virtually inside of touching distance for the membership’s Saudi Arabian majority house owners.
An terrible lot can trade over the 23 video games forward however Howe seemed cautiously positive as he ready for Monday’s travel to Leicester. “It’s in our hands,” he mentioned. “I’d like to think we’re prepared for what’s coming at us. I’d like to think the teams are ready to play in different ways and I don’t mean just system-wise.
“I’m pretty sure the second half of the season will be tougher but that’s healthy. We’re confident; we’ll embrace the challenge.
Allan Saint-Maximin, Newcastle’s French winger, recently revealed he had spoken to his compatriot Marcus Thuram, the France and Borussia Monchengladbach forward, about the benefits of joining Newcastle. “Thanks Maxi,” said Howe, who expects to finally welcome his £60m Sweden striker Alexander Isak back from injury next month. “Thuram’s one of the players I looked at during the World Cup but that’s as far as it’s gone.
“I don’t know what our window will look like. I’ve got to be careful not to do something that unsettles the group yet you also don’t want it to become stale. But it would be difficult to improve our starting XI without spending serious money and financial fair play rules would make that tough.
Howe swiftly debunked suggestions that Newcastle might fund fresh purchases by selling Saint-Maximin. “For me, any time Maxi is unavailable is a disaster because he’s unique,” he said, expressing hope the winger has seen off the hamstring problems which interrupted the season’s first half. “He’s got skills no defender wants to face. Maxi’s a massive player for us and there’s so much more to come from him.
“For me, he’s the best dribbler in the Premier League. He’s got the ability to put any opponent on the back foot. The team performed really well in his absence but he’s undoubtedly got the qualities we’re going to need in the second half of the season. When he’s fully fit, Maxi’s a key player from the off. He’s absolutely not an impact sub.”
In Howe’s ideal words, Saint-Maximin and Brazil’s Bruno Guimarães would be exchanging passes with James Maddison at St James’ Park. Leicester’s England midfielder remains high on Howe’s shopping list and although a deal next month may well be too difficult to complete, he did not dismiss the notion entirely.
“I never talk about other clubs’ players,” mentioned Howe, who, regardless of steadily showering Jonjo Shelvey with reward, may just conceivably promote the playmaker, who positive predecessors discovered high-maintenance when he was once outdoor the primary XI. “But … James Maddison’s been absolutely brilliant this season … he’s a great advert for the Premier League.”
Like it or not, Newcastle are in effect unofficial ambassadors for Saudi Arabia. At some point in the coming months they are expected to attend a warm-weather training camp in the new, lavishly futuristic Red Sea resort rapidly taking shape along the kingdom’s west coast, 300 miles north of Jeddah. It is not intended to merely draw sun-starved northern Europeans towards its glorious winter climate, but to help change international perceptions of the country.
That would possibly appear an unrealistic ambition, however a 12 months in the past so did the concept Howe and Newcastle would now be giving Jürgen Klopp, Erik ten Hag, Antonio Conte, Graham Potter and corporate authentic motive for worry.