Howe: Despite the Win, We Failed to Manage the Nottingham Match
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe admitted his team failed to manage the game properly, forcing them to endure a tense finish in their 4-3 victory over Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday, despite dominating the first half, which ended 4-1 in their favor.
Newcastle scored four goals in just 11 minutes during a brilliant first-half display, seizing full control of the match. However, their second-half performance was concerning for Howe, as they conceded multiple chances and were fortunate that Forest only capitalized on two of them.
“I’m trying to control my thoughts and stay positive. We won the match, and that’s what we needed. I think we played an excellent first half. We didn’t manage the game well, but overall, we’re happy with the win,” Howe told the BBC.
Forest took an early lead in the sixth minute, but Newcastle responded strongly, with Alexander Isak scoring twice to reach 50 Premier League goals in just 76 matches.
“It was always going to be a tough match, and when Forest scored early, I knew we had a difficult task ahead. I thought we handled the ball brilliantly and moved well, but then we showed some defensive weaknesses on set pieces,” Howe said. “When you win but still have areas to improve, that’s a good starting point. That’s what I take from today’s match. We can reflect on those 45 minutes in the second half and identify things we can do better. We take pride in our ability to make adjustments and fine-tune the details.”
Howe also praised Isak, who became only the second Newcastle player in the Premier League era to reach 50 goals, following Alan Shearer.
“It’s a huge achievement, and when he plays like he did in the first half, he becomes a very influential player for us. He showed his speed and excellent timing in his runs, particularly in his second goal. He’s a top player,” Howe said.
