Howe issues Botman update, reacts to Spurs win and Postecoglou's rant - Watch here
Eddie Howe has been speaking to the media following our big win in North London, discussing the performance, Sven Botman's withdrawal on his return, Ange Postecoglou's post-match complaints and Tuesday's trip to Arsenal.
The boss responded to Postecoglou's comments after the Spurs manager felt his side were more deserving of the three points in Newcastle’s massive 2-1 win away from home, with the Aussie claiming his side would have won if all things were "equal and balanced."
Though the home side went ahead early on, Anthony Gordon’s controversial equaliser and Alexander Isak’s first half winner made it six games in a row in all competitions for the Magpies.
“I thought we were dominant in the first-half today, it could and should possibly have been more," Howe said. "Yes, Tottenham played well in the second-half and they brought on some quality players that pushed us back at times, but we did enough to get over the line.”
The game also marked the return of Sven Botman to the senior team, and despite a shaky start, the Dutchman looked solid with some vital blocks keeping Solanke and the Spurs attack at bay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4U6-LZGFmTU
On Botman and his late withdrawal, Howe said: “Nothing more than cramp for Sven. The thinking behind it was that he had done the work. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t feel that he was physically ready.
“It was a great effort from him to last that long. We were unsure how long he would be able to go for, with the speed of the Premier League. But thankfully he got through the majority of the game.”
“He’s been very dedicated to his recovery. We’ve seen him put in an extraordinary amount of work before he started training with us, and he’s been training with us for six weeks now.
“He’s had three games and looked good in those games. Of course, he won’t be at his optimum level, but that will come in the following months. I thought he was physically ready to play, and mentally ready to play too. He’s been champing at the bit to play again.”
Looking ahead to Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal, Howe has indicated we may see some rotation within today’s side for what will likely be the toughest test of the season so far.
”We need to assess how the players feel. We need energetic players for Arsenal. That is going to be a physical game and it is a very quick turnaround. I think it is the same for Arsenal and they have had a harder schedule than us."
