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Opinion

Michael Owen gets it very wrong on what Eddie Howe is ‘desperate’ for with Newcastle United

2 years ago
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Michael Owen has been talking about Eddie Howe and his upcoming first game in charge of Newcastle United.

After Bournemouth’s relegation in 2020, this will be the first time in 18 months that Howe will have taken charge of a competitive match.

Starting work before 7am at the training ground on his first morning at work nine days ago, the new Newcastle United Head Coach is throwing everything at the job and this very first game.

As you can see from the current Premier League table ahead of the weekend, Eddie Howe has taken on a massive job:

Michael Owen describes Saturday as ‘a huge one for the club’ and that Eddie Howe and Newcastle ‘will be targeting this one’…

However, later on the former Newcastle United striker sums up the game as one ‘both sides will be desperate to not lose’ on Saturday.

Whilst naturally Howe / NUFC won’t want to get beat, the only thing in reality that Newcastle United will be ‘desperate’ for at St James Park is to win.

I’m absolutely sure that Brentford would take a point if offered to them now as it would give them 13 points from 12 Premier League games and ensure they stay a decent distance above the relegation zone AND stop a losing run of PL matches going from four to five.

Results and performances for Brentford have become increasingly poor after a promising start to the season. Now with half a dozen players out injured including some key first choice ones, and four losses in a row culminating in defeats to Burnley and Norwich, Newcastle United and Eddie Howe surely have to see this match as a must win one.

To put it into perspective, other than facing Brentford, Norwich and Burnley had played 20 other PL matches between them this season and haven’t won a single one.

A point would be almost useless to Newcastle United as it would ensure they stayed second bottom (or worse), would have only six points from twelve games, would have one of the most winnable home matches of the season now passed by, keep a seven point gap between Brentford and NUFC, plus potentially see an even bigger gap to safety open up.

Michael Owen predicts a 1-1 draw at St James Park on Saturday but a win will most definitely be being targeted by Eddie Howe.

Michael Owen talking to BetVictor ahead of Eddie Howe’s first Newcastle United match:

“It’s Eddie Howe’s first game in charge and it’s a huge one for the club.

“Newcastle are yet to win a game in the league and with a tricky run of fixtures looming, they’ll be targeting this one.

“Callum Wilson is critical to this team and now reunited with Eddie Howe, I’d expect even more from him.

“Things are starting to go wrong for Brentford.

“That’s now four defeats in a row and the latest of those, to Norwich, was a damaging one.

“They made such a good start so it’s given them some breathing room but I’m sure people around the club will be worrying.

“This is a vital game for both.

“Both sides will be desperate to not lose so I can see a draw here.

“I’m going for 1-1.”

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