Eddie Howe has been talking ahead of Newcastle United taking on Manchester City.
The match schedule continuing to be relentless.
The United boss hoping to follow up the excellent midweek Premier League victory over Man U.
A superb effort from Eddie Howe and his Newcastle United players, the team having to play a majority of the match with 10 men, plus up against an appalling set of match officials.
Newcastle United looking to make it into the last eight of the FA Cup.
Eddie Howe speaking at his Newcastle United pre-match press conference ahead of facing Manchester City:
“The games against Manchester City [this season] have all been close.
“We have had chances against them.
“I don’t think we’ve been as clinical as we need to be to win those games and, of course defensively, we need to be watertight.
“They’re always going to test you. They are a difficult team to pin down in every moment.
“It will be a proper FA Cup tie where it’s one of those end-to-end games. That will suit us and we will need to get the crowd involved.”
Eddie Howe on playing at St James’ Park and the atmosphere that can be generated:
“The crowd react to us.
“It is our duty to set the tone and I felt we did that against Manchester United, with a bright start, energetic and positive in our outlook trying to score and attack in the right way.
“The crowd then backed us to the very end and helped us get us over the line to win that game.
“We need a ferocious St. James’ Park but that’s going to come from our body language and start to the game.”
Eddie Howe on team news ahead of Saturday:
“Nick Woltemade should be okay, had an illness and lost a bit of weight. He trained yesterday individually and felt okay so that’s a positive.
“Lewis Miley will not make the next couple of games.
“Tino Livramento is getting there, let’s wait and see. He hasn’t trained with us yet but he has done a lot of work. There’s no question on how his fitness is. He has been running for a long time.
“He has a lot of work behind him, but it is just that training time with us.”
(So it looks like still at least six players players missing. Eddie Howe still set to be without Tino Livramento, Lewis Miley, Bruno Guimaraes, Emil Krafth and Fabian Schar through injury, plus Jacob Ramsey who picked up that ludicrous red card against Man U.)
Eddie Howe on midweek match winner Will Osula:
“Will is someone that always works on his game.
“He’s got a lot of areas to focus on and continue his development.
He’s worked incredibly hard since he’s joined us and Graeme Jones has done a lot of individual work with him.
“He has done really well since his injury because it was a frustrating one, a long time out and static where he couldn’t do too much with his ankle.
“He is confident again in his ankle and physically getting better.”