"I have to clear something up" - Howe stops Newcastle presser to defend Anthony Gordon

On Tuesday night, the pre-match news that Anthony Gordon was 'ill' and only fit enough for the bench felt like an early blow ahead of our Champions League clash with Barcelona.

Gordon did come on in the second half, replacing Will Osula, but the England international's initial absence was questioned by Alan Shearer, who wondered how he couldn't push himself to start if we was able to train that morning.

Shearer told Amazon Prime: “Maybe I’m old school, but if you’re fit enough to train in the morning, and I know he doesn’t feel well, but this is Barcelona. It would take something extraordinary to keep myself out of this game tonight. That surprises me a lot.”

Harsh comments without knowing the full picture, I thought, and Eddie Howe was keen to set the record straight when speaking to the media on Friday morning.

Howe sets record straight on Gordon

Eddie Howe has moved to clear up unfair comments around Anthony Gordon's absence from our starting 11 on Tuesday night.

The boss insists the 25-year-old was "absolutely willing" to start had he been selected, but it was Howe and the medical team who opted to take him out of our XI after illness kept him out of our training session that morning.

After confirming that Gordon has trained this week and "feels better", Howe said:

"I do have to clear something up with Anthony Gordon.

"He was absolutely willing to play in the game against Barcelona.

"It was my decision not to start him, based on the fact that he'd been ill that morning and hadn't attended the training session.

"So he was prepared to play, but in consultation with the medical team we didn't think he was fit to play."

Howe was then asked about Gordon's character and the criticism he has sometimes received from the media, insisting the former Everton talent is noting more than a "winner" with a razor focus on being the best player he can be.

"I'd categorise him as a winner. He wants to win everything, he's a real competitor.

"He's got that streak to him that I think all top players need where he's very single-minded, very focused on his development and his game."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFdDl9fubE8