Eddie Howe’s comments after Newcastle United’s defeat to Sunderland did not go down well on social media.
Howe has become the latest Newcastle United manager to struggle in the Tyne-Wear derby, at least in a Premier League context.
By the time Sunderland visit St James’ Park in March 2026, it will have been 15 years since Newcastle won a league match against their rivals.
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Nick Woltemade’s comical own goal eventually decided Sunderland’s 1-0 win over Newcastle at the Stadium of Light.
The German was just trying his best and, frankly, it was his performance at the other end of the pitch that was more concerning.
Naturally, Newcastle fans on social media are furious, having watched an insipid performance on Wearside and Howe’s comments really rubbed salt into the wounds.
Newcastle United fans unhappy as Eddie Howe names what was “very good” against Sunderland
Newcastle were hardly thrashed against Sunderland but pointing to that fact feels like a stretch.
Losing to them, whatever the nuance of the situation, is little short of a disaster.
Howe’s side are a Champions League-level team and, at the very least, they should be showing much more than they did.
So then, the fact that Howe said Newcastle were “very good” off the ball on Sunday was never likely to be met with positive applause.
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His comments in the post-match press conference in full were: “There was a lot of good to take depending on which side of the game we’re looking at.
“I can say off the ball, I thought we were very good. So no, I don’t think it was [the worst].”
Those remarks did very little to make anyone feel any better about the game.
“He must’ve been watching a different game to every single NUFC fan on the planet,” wrote one fan.
Another asked: “Sorry, was he watching a different game?”
“He’s not helping himself”, was another reaction.
“There was nothing good to take away from the game, in any shape or form,” claimed one disgruntled supporter.
“What was the good? Honestly I couldn’t see anything positive,” was another understandable question.
Another supporter said: “I must’ve watched a different game because the positives were seen = zero.”
Eddie Howe has just failed to read the room at Newcastle United
There may be some credence to what Howe is saying, had he been speaking after a normal fixture.
Sunderland did not have many chances but, frankly, it is hard to frame that as a positive.
Such is the depth of the rivalry, highlighting an (arguably) good performance off the ball after a game the Magpies have lost just doesn’t cut it.
It should be added that Howe did also say sorry for the performance, of course.
Howe is perhaps the best Newcastle United manager in history. That does not mean he gets a free pass.
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