Eddie Howe shows his class as usual – Reflecting on Newcastle 0 Crystal Palace 0, including ‘that’ incident

It is an easy mistake to make, just how quickly you can take for granted somebody like Eddie Howe.

He has been at St James’ Park less than ten months and yet it is amazing how swiftly he has wiped away the misery and embarrassment that his predecessor brought to our football club.

Never mind the actual games, tactics, football…I just dreaded every time that Steve Bruce spoke in public, both before and after matches.

He’s not alone of course, as the Mike Ashley era also included the likes of JFK, Fat Sam, Pardew, McClaren and Carver.

After yesterday’s very unlucky draw against Crystal Palace, Eddie Howe was clearly angry and frustrated that his side hadn’t taken their chances and especially so when it came to the joke that was the disallowed goal due to Lee Mason (VAR) and Michael Salisbury (Referee).

However, he was measured and just calmly said it as it was, explaining just how badly the officials had got it wrong and cost Newcastle United the win.

What I love especially about Eddie Howe, is that I know 100% that just like Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson before him, the current NUFC head coach would have been equally honest of Newcastle had been the beneficiaries of such a laughable decision.

Eddie Howe wouldn’t insist on Newcastle United handing the undeserved point back BUT he would have acknowledged that on this occasion NUFC had got lucky, due to a poor moment from the VAR official and referee.

I was embarrassed for both Thomas Tuchel and Patrick Vieira when seeing their interviews, instead of doing what Eddie Howe would have done, they instead insisted that what we had all seen on TV replays wasn’t reality, that in actual fact the VAR officials and on the pitch referees hadn’t got the decisions completely wrong at both Stamford Bridge and St James’ Park.

It was the same with Bruno Lage at Molineux last weekend, the Wolves boss doing the same, claiming that a second Wolves goal should have stood despite everybody able to see on TV replays that Ryan Fraser was clearly pushed off the ball and fouled in the build up to that Jimenez ‘goal’.

Eddie Howe is very much one of the minority these days. So many other Premier League bosses seem to think that it somehow weakens themselves and their clubs / teams, if they admit they got lucky due to a poor decision from the match / VAR officials.

Almost as though that if they admit it, then the Premier League would then have the right to take the point / points off them that came about due to clearly wrong decisions from those officiating.

Eddie Howe – excellent manager AND somebody who has integrity. The same when it comes to how his team has played, Howe will tell it as it is, not make up ridiculous excuses in the style of Brucey, Pardew or Carver.

Eddie Howe reflecting on Newcastle 0 Crystal Palace 0 and that VAR / refereeing decision to disallow the Palace own goal:

“Personally, I didn’t think it should have been disallowed.

“I thought it was a foul or a push on Joe Willock in the build-up to the ball coming in.

“Joe’s momentum is fixed at that point from his opponent, it then carries him into the goalkeeper, but without that push there is no way that Joe would have gone in with that force.

“So if anything, it is a penalty if it is not a goal, so I was very surprised with the outcome.”

Eddie Howe on Alexander Isak home debut:

“He will be disappointed to miss that, because I think he would back himself to score and I’d certainly back him to score, but he has gone for a certain type of finish but didn’t quite execute it right.

“I thought we starved him of with the ball a little bit and I desperately wanted him to try and get on the ball more, especially in the attacking third.

“It’s just that he’s had no training time with us, so he has been thrust right into action and I think he’s done very well, but there is a lot of improvement for us as a team to try and serve him.”

Eddie Howe on Elliot Anderson:

“I thought he was very bright.

“We brought him on, on the left, as I thought the midfield three were doing well at that moment of the game.

“I didn’t want to disrupt their rhythm when we had control of the game, as sometimes if you make a change to an area that is functioning well, it can have a negative effect.

“So I put him wide, because it’s an area he can play very well, his chopping and turning in the box was very impressive.

“He put some lovely balls in with his left foot which we probably should have done better with.

“Very pleased with Elliot.

“He comes on, home game, lots of pressure on him but he still wants the ball in every moment.

“That is a big positive to take.”

Stats from BBC Sport:

Newcastle 0 Crystal Palace 0 – Saturday 3 September 3pm

Goals:

Newcastle:

Crystal Palace:

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was Crystal Palace 48% (50%) Newcastle 52% (50%)

Total shots were Crystal Palace 23 (7) Newcastle 19 (13)

Shots on target were Crystal Palace 9 (4) Newcastle 6 (5)

Corners were Crystal Palace 5 (1) Newcastle 13 (6)

Referee: Michael Salisbury

Newcastle United:

Pope, Trippier, Schar, Botman, Targett (Burn 79), Sean Longstaff, Willock, Joelinton, Almiron (Murphy 70), Fraser (Anderson 70), Isak (Wood 90+2)

Unused Subs:

Darlow, Lascelles, Ritchie, Lewis, Manquillo

(Match Report – Newcastle 0 Crystal Palace 0 – The rest of the game was effectively white noise… Read HERE)

(Match of The Day Alan Shearer Newcastle verdict – Perfect analysis exposes shocking, abysmal, disgraceful incident – Read HERE)

(3 Positives and 3 Negatives from Newcastle 0 Crystal Palace 0 – Read HERE)

(Patrick Vieira humiliates himself with post-match comments after Newcastle 0 Crystal Palace 0 – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 0 Crystal Palace 0 – The instant NUFC fan / writer reaction – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 0 Crystal Palace 0 – Match ratings and comments on all the NUFC players – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 0 Crystal Palace 0 – Everything but the…goal and shameful VAR decision against NUFC – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 0 Crystal Palace 0 – The three big points that I’m taking from the match – Read HERE)