Howe delighted as in-form Newcastle's 2-1 Spurs win
04/01/2025
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
04/01/2025
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00Yeah it's been a massive two games for us because our away form has been a bit
00:13patchy for a period of time and only winning can give you the confidence
00:19that you can win in any ground and in any situation and to go 1-0 down here
00:24I've been here many times and I've seen games slip away very quickly from that
00:28position but I think there was a calmness about us in response to that as
00:32a mature response and we scored pretty soon afterwards and and then I don't
00:38think we ever looked back in that first half, it was a really strong first half
00:41display from us.
00:50Well the thinking behind it, he's done the work, I wouldn't play him if I didn't
00:54feel he was physically ready, he's been very dedicated to his recovery, we've
01:00seen him put an extraordinary amount of work before he started training with us
01:04and he's been training with us now for six weeks I think, he's had three games
01:09he's looked good in those games, of course he won't be at his optimum level
01:14but that will come in the following month but I thought he was ready and
01:18physically ready to play and mentally ready to play, he's chomping at the bit
01:21to be involved again and difficult start for him and the team because
01:25Tottenham scored but a great response, I thought he did very well today.
01:32It seemed like there was a lot of tired players coming off the pitch, they've put an awful lot in right the way through the Christmas period, is there any worry that with a big game coming up on Tuesday night, a relatively small group of players have got the well and lot for you in the last two, three weeks?
01:50Yeah of course that's something I'm very aware of, I think we went through a spell
01:56where we were very inconsistent with our performances and results so I made a
02:01conscious decision to try and be consistent with my team selection to give
02:04the best chance to get consistent results and we've started to win games
02:12so I've been very reluctant to change things and unbalance what's been
02:17working for us and sometimes even within the game that's been evident that
02:21I haven't wanted to change the dynamic too much and I feel like I absolutely
02:26have to so we need to assess how the players feel, we certainly need
02:30energetic players for Arsenal, it's going to be a physical game, it's a very
02:34quick turnaround but it's the same for Arsenal, if anything
02:37they've had a harder schedule the last few days so let's see how we feel.
02:40Thanks Scott, go to Lee Ryder and then Jordan Cronin.
02:44How did you feel the team are becoming more streetwise on days like this?
02:50I think we showed qualities of that today, I know a lot was made of that
02:55probably much to my frustration in the Champions League season because I think
03:01that that comes as a consequence of winning games and people jump to
03:05conclusions about how we're preparing. I think you saw today that the players
03:08experiences, we've got players that have played in a lot of big games, managing
03:12situations very well, I thought we defended in the main very well today I
03:17thought they had one spell of chances but other than that relatively quiet for
03:21us I thought yeah we did manage the game in the end very well, all the
03:26injuries we had were genuine in the game, a lot of players coming off so as the
03:32question there was a very physical game today.
03:40Yeah I think that's the most pleasing thing from today is how we reacted in
03:43that moment, scoring so quickly after they scored and then having the maturity
03:48and quality in our play to dominate that first half in the way that we did,
03:52really good signs for the future I think.
04:04Well I can't sit here and lie and say I haven't seen it because I have, it
04:09definitely hit Joel Inton's arm I can give you that as well but I'm not in
04:14control of the referee's decision I believe that his arms down in a natural
04:19position and I think the referee and the VAR have followed the rules and
04:22protocols that are in place so that's why it's given.
04:25Okay we'll go to Sue, Jordan, Dom and then across to George.
04:29Just holding that up, Arjen said that Tottenham deserved to win more of it,
04:32it was a fair and even playing field, I don't know if that's because of the injuries,
04:36illness or the fact that they equalised that, do you agree with that?
04:39I've just got to concentrate on us and Newcastle and I'm just very proud of the
04:44effort that the players have put in, the games that we've won, I thought we were
04:47dominant in the first half today, I thought it was could have could and
04:51possibly should have been more in that first half period, yes Tottenham played
04:53well in the second half and they brought on some quality players and
04:56pushed us back at times but we did enough to get over the line.
04:59A lot was made about the away record last season, it wasn't where you'd probably want it to be,
05:03but obviously two wins on a row this week, big improvements there, why is that?
05:07I don't know, we try to approach every game in the same way and I've said this
05:12many times, we don't have a plan for St. James's Park and then a plan,
05:16different plan for an away game, it's of course every game is different and we do
05:21tweak for who we're playing and what we need to do, but you have to at this level,
05:26if you don't I think you're going to get caught out with different systems and
05:30different shapes, but the mentality is definitely the same, I think you've seen
05:34that in the last few games, I just think we're in a period where we're playing
05:37very well and winning games.
05:40Dominic?
05:41You touched on before the injuries you saw in the second half, were they genuine, just Sven Bodman at the end didn't drop their health qualities?
05:48Yeah I think nothing more than cramp for Sven, which is expected with the length of time that he's been out,
05:53I think he's a great effort from him to last that long, we were unsure how long
05:57he would be able to go for with the speed of the Premier League, but
06:01thankfully he got through the majority of the game.
06:03Anthony Gordon obviously took a nasty cut to his nose after posting?
06:07Yeah I think that's just a cut, but it was a nasty cut, he had blood all over him,
06:10so did well to get back onto the pitch, but yeah nothing more than that I don't think.
06:17George?
06:38Yeah I think the horse is for courses, I don't think there's one way of doing it,
06:42but I just think at the moment the balance of the team has been really solid,
06:45midfield's looked really good again, especially in the first half today,
06:47I thought the midfield three, once we got to grips with the early stage of the game,
06:51began to dominate that key area of the pitch.
06:54And then I think there was good partnerships in the team, even Dan and Sven,
06:57although they haven't played together, I think they built up a good partnership there,
07:01physically they did very well I thought against Solanke, who's a very good player.
07:06Yeah and the partnerships in the team, defensive mentality was very strong today.
07:10And different ways to win?
07:13Yeah and that's a pleasing thing, because you have to, it's never a perfect game,
07:17you're never going to have everything your own way, we certainly didn't today,
07:20but we found a way to come back and get a magnificent win from our perspective,
07:24so long may that continue.
07:26OK, we'll take three more, we'll go to Tom, Craig and Martin.
07:43...contribute a lot, the partnership he's having with Isak is really impressive,
07:47how has he been, how key has he been in this?
07:50Yeah, he's been very, very important, and probably more than people may realise,
07:54because we ask a lot of Jacob in lots of different ways.
07:58Plays an important role, of course everyone plays an important role in our pressing,
08:03with the ball he's been brilliant, I mean the assists and the goals that he's got
08:06in the last few weeks, Alex probably owes Jacob the majority of his goals,
08:11with his crossing ability, which has always been very strong.
08:14But also defensively, we use him in a variety of ways, he's a very versatile player,
08:20always with Jacob he's very team-orientated as well,
08:24he doesn't get the credit perhaps that he deserves,
08:26so it's nice to see that he's getting the assist that's bringing his performances to everyone's attention.
08:31Thanks Tom, Craig?
08:33Eddie, we first spoke to you about January 5 or 6 weeks ago,
08:36and obviously there is the caveat there that you might not be able to do anything,
08:40when you first spoke you found it was from a position of weakness almost,
08:43the team needed help, six, seven games later that's a position of strength,
08:47what's your mindset, do you strengthen from a position of strength,
08:49or do you say actually it's not broken, don't try to fix it right now?
08:53I think you always go into every window, and this is my method,
08:57you try to improve the squad if you can, that has to be your view,
09:01otherwise you're going to stand still and regress.
09:04But these days it's changed, Craig, as you know,
09:07because it's what you can do, rather than your want,
09:10so we're still in the same position where we're looking at it and going,
09:13are we able to do anything, if we're not we'll go with what we've got,
09:15and I always say the players at the club are the most important people,
09:19players are playing well at the moment, our squad is very thin really,
09:24you look today everyone that was fit and available was here with us,
09:28so we're not blessed with a huge array of players,
09:32but we have some very, very good ones.
09:34Just quickly going back to the game in the second half,
09:36was that second half different to what you had down at Man Utd,
09:38when you were at Man Utd there was another bit of control to it,
09:42was it different in the second half?
09:45Yeah, I don't think we were totally comfortable in the second half,
09:47it wasn't what we wanted it to be,
09:53but in saying that you're never going to have the game as you want it to be for 90 minutes,
09:57but can you still be effective when the game's not going in the way that you want it to go,
10:02I thought we were a very big counter-threat in the game all the way through,
10:06I don't think that diminished in the second half,
10:08I think that was still there, but we didn't have the control with the ball we had in the first half,
10:11that was Tottenham's domain really, and a bit of a frustration for us.
10:16Thanks, Craig.
10:17Martin to finish?
10:18Heidi, there's been big moments on the pitch between yourselves and Tottenham
10:22in the last few weeks, and exciting moments between the duos as well,
10:27are these now two of your biggest rivals in terms of the clubs that want to emerge and kick on,
10:31and if they are, is that why it's so important to beat them?
10:35Yes, I think there's only respectful rivalries, I don't see that there's no issue,
10:39there's just two benches full of people that are desperate to win,
10:42so I've got no issue with that.
10:45I think we're aware that there's teams in and around us that we,
10:49I wouldn't say consider rivals, but we know how important it is to try and win those games,
10:54I've got full respect for Tottenham and for Ange and the way that he plays,
10:57I think they're a very, very difficult team to play against,
11:00they're some very good players, and that's why the wins are all the more satisfying for us.
11:04And is the end there with the supporters the contrast to Brentford,
11:09which was only about weeks ago, is that why you stood there a little bit longer?
11:14I wasn't aware it was longer, but I think Brentford was very difficult,
11:18and sometimes when you don't play well, those moments are very, very tough to do,
11:25because for me consistency is so important, whether we win, lose or draw,
11:29I always say we will go over and thank our supporters for coming,
11:32but it is a lot harder to do in negative moments.
11:35But what I do remember going to the Brentford crowd was how good they were with us again,
11:41they had every right to probably not be, the majority were absolutely superb with the players,
11:47and that's why it's so pleasing that today we were able to reward them with a big three points.
11:53And last one on Tino Liverpool and Lewis Hall,
11:55Tino Liverpool have again done very well in a big game against Chelsea today...
12:01Yeah, I'm sure that they were aware of that, that Thomas was here,
12:04Thomas will be well aware of their qualities from not just watching today,
12:07but from previous games, all they've got to do is carry on playing
12:09as well as they have done this season, I think both players were very good today.
12:13Thanks, everyone.