‘The worst’ – Eddie Howe makes Newcastle United admission as he explains 3-1 loss to Fulham
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has provided an explanation for his team’s disheartening 3-1 loss to Fulham at Craven Cottage. Admitting that there is significant “work to do,” Howe is already focused on upcoming crucial fixtures against AFC Wimbledon in the cup and Manchester City in the Premier League.
The Magpies started poorly, conceding two early goals and struggling to mount a meaningful comeback against a determined Fulham side led by Marco Silva. Newcastle’s performance lacked energy, cohesion, and aggression, as they were second-best in nearly every individual battle on the pitch. Fulham capitalized on Newcastle’s weaknesses, leaving the visitors unable to recover from the early setback.
In reflecting on the loss, Howe acknowledged the team’s sluggish start, saying: “In the first half, we were too reactive. Fulham were the better side, and it was hard for us to cope. We conceded a very soft goal early on, and whenever you’re away from home and you give the opposition that kind of advantage, it becomes an uphill battle. The crowd gets behind them, and it becomes even more challenging. The first half was difficult for us. However, we responded well in the second half and pushed hard to get back into the game, but it just wasn’t enough. We need to take a hard look at this and make sure we analyze it thoroughly.”
When asked whether the team’s star players, such as Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak, and Kieran Trippier, had underperformed, Howe was quick to emphasize that no individual should be singled out for the defeat. “From my perspective, we analyze each player’s performance fairly and individually,” he said. “There are no ‘big-name’ players in this group. Everyone is putting in the same effort, and we rely on all of our players to step up and perform well if we want to win games. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case today, particularly in the first half. We know there’s a lot of work to do.”
Newcastle’s form has been erratic in the early stages of the season, with some fortunate results masking deeper issues. However, this latest defeat against Fulham exposed several vulnerabilities. “Today was the worst we’ve played so far, especially in that first half,” Howe admitted. “The second half was a bit better, but the first 45 minutes were unacceptable. In previous games, we may not have been at our best, but we showed resilience and defensive stability. That wasn’t there today. Defensively, we just weren’t good enough, and now we have to accept responsibility, learn from it, and do the work to fix it.”
Bruno Guimaraes, who made a rare error during the match, apologized to the fans after the final whistle. When asked about Bruno’s gesture, Howe responded: “I didn’t see the apology myself, but this is never about any one player. We win and lose as a team, and this defeat hurts all of us equally. It’s not about blaming individuals—this was a collective performance, and we all need to be accountable. Today’s result is a tough one to take, but we’ll learn from it and move forward.”
With crucial matches looming, Howe and his squad will need to regroup quickly to avoid further setbacks and ensure they get back on track. The team’s lack of intensity and poor defensive display against Fulham will need to be addressed if they hope to compete against stronger opponents in the coming weeks.