Howe Praising Experienced Defender As Newcastle Rock City In The EFL Cup

It has been a pretty mixed and inconsistent start for Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe in our domestic 2023/24 Premier League campaign, but there are few reasons for concern as after six games, we sit in eighth place having picked up three wins.

We also opened our Champions League campaign with a draw against AC Milan, and there was certainly reason for celebration this midweek as we took an incredibly hard fought victory over Manchester City our third round EFL Cup tie, which will undoubtedly boost spirits further.

Admittedly, we will be sick of Manchester clubs soon enough having now been drawn away at Old Trafford (what a surprise) and will face Manchester United in the fourth round - but you cannot have everything eh. For those who like a flutter, there will be plenty of betting opportunity ahead of this tie, and many will now wonder just how far we can go after the City win.

For very understandable reasons, our gaffer was delighted with the over all effort we put in before we showed significant improvement in the second half of the game, and ultimately took the win. Speaking after the full time whistle, he beamed.

“My record against him isn't good, so it's nice to win, but most importantly it's not about that it's about trying to progress in the competition and I'm delighted with the players, delighted with the efforts that they gave. It was a very difficult game for us in that first half, I thought they played very well. I thought we defended very well - we had to because we struggled, didn't have much rhythm. But then the second half was a totally different performance. The balance of the team was much better and I'm delighted with everyone's commitment to the game."

This was Howe's first victory over Pep Guardiola in 14 attempts, and with the form table now showing three straight victories with the EFL Cup included, it should be the perfect spur for us to grow some real momentum now as we head towards the next international break.

"The only way you go into these games with more belief is by winning, so hopefully that will serve us well for the future. It shows that we are capable. Yes, both teams made changes, but all you can do is try to win the game and we did, and I'm delighted with the players."

31 year old defender Paul Dummett also came in for some specific praise for his own performance across the 90 minutes (Fabian Schar replaced him four minutes into stoppage time) and Howe pointed out it was exactly why he was so keen on the experienced player to sign his new 12 month contract extension over the summer. City was actually his first appearance of the season, as fans will be aware.

“I thought Paul was absolutely outstanding. When you see him behind the scenes every day, his commitment to Newcastle, the professionalism that he shows, his standards have been exemplary since I’ve been here. That’s why I was so determined to keep him in the summer – and he can still play an important role on the pitch. He’s got real experience and a really good defensive mindset. I thought him and Jamaal, the pair of them, were really, really good for us and I’m delighted that we showed that strength in our back line because it’s going to be hugely important this season.”

On to the next one, and we will likely see Dummett again, sooner rather than later.