Newcastle United are back in Champions League duty again this week and the Magpies will need to prove they’ve overcome the key mentality issue Eddie Howe highlighted last month.
Last time out in the Champions League, Newcastle suffered a dismal collapse against Marseille despite leading at half-time.
Can you remember where you were when Shearer bagged a Champions League hat-trick vs Bayer Leverkusen in 2003? 😍
Champions League nights on ITV were the best!
Most of the blame for that defeat fell on Nick Pope, whose horrendous error cost Newcastle dearly. But, it was a team effort that brought about the loss, and it was symptomatic of a major issue for the Magpies.
Whether in the Champions League or Premier League, Eddie Howe knew exactly what the problem was. And it might just have fixed itself now.
Confidence was a problem for Newcastle United
Speaking back at the start of November after Newcastle’s defeat to Brentford, Howe addressed a perceived lack of confidence for the Magpies, especially away from home.
He said: “I think it was clear, if you watch Newcastle regularly, we were lacking in confidence today.
“There were a lot of technical mistakes, which is really unlike us, especially in the middle of the pitch where we’re usually really fluent. And that contributed then to putting us under pressure.
“I think it’s really important today that I support the players and we know we’re good players. We know we’ve got a really good team, but we just need to stay grouped together in this difficult period.”
At the time, everyone knew away games were an issue for Newcastle. However, Howe had a plan to solve the dilemma, and it involved careful, calculated tweaks to various aspects.
He added: “I think we need to be very calm, but we need to be measured and we need to be reflective. If there is a reshuffle, it needs to be done in the right way.
“It needs to be done with analysis and then detailed thoughts as to how the team’s going to go forward. I’m not averse to that. We’re never going to do the same thing continually.”
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Newcastle players should be on a high right now
Eddie Howe made the necessary tweaks, and wasn’t afraid to drop the players who were letting him down. Bold decisions like relegating Anthony Gordon to the bench paid dividends.
Gordon is back in top form now and brimming with confidence. And, most importantly, the team have banished their away-day hoodoos; the 4-1 triumph over Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium saw to that.
Throwback time! Name the two players missing from the Newcastle XI that beat Bayer Leverkusen in February 2003!
Top marks if you can remember the centre-midfielder…
With four league games unbeaten, players back in form, and having proven they can win away from home, Newcastle must surely be able to step into this clash with Leverkusen on Wednesday night with nothing to fear.
It’s easier said than done, but complacency cannot creep in for Newcastle if they are to achieve their goals in the Champions League. That begins with this game in Germany, where a win would go a long way towards putting the Magpies on track for the knockout stages.
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