Eddie Howe has been looking back on the 1-1 draw at Gateshead and looking forward to what is to follow.
The Premier League season kicks off in 27 days time for Newcastle United, that huge home game against Liverpool on Sunday 23 August.
Two low key friendlies now behind NUFC, with five more to come, starting on Wednesday.
Eddie Howe speaking to official club media and reflecting on the 1-1 draw against Gateshead on Saturday: “I actually thought it was a good game. A good test. I always say at this stage of pre-season I like us to come into games slightly fatigued, due to the work schedule that they have been through. I thought we were in control of the game, maybe sort of long balls apart, where they bounced on a couple and they scored from one on a free-kick. I thought we controlled the game and the conditions were slightly more difficult for us, we’re playing on a very dry pitch and trying to move the ball quickly through the thirds and a little bit slow at times, it stopped our dribblers being able to dribble really. I thought we created a lot of chances and on another day we might have scored a lot more. But I think a lot of the players will benefit a lot from that game.”
It had been a behind closed doors 3-0 win over Darlington the previous weekend, then the 1-1 draw against Gateshead on Saturday. Gateshead getting a lucky deflection off the defensive wall at the free-kick, which fell kindly to a home player close in. Then Newcastle carrying the luck with the equaliser, Lewis Hall’s cross turned in by a defender for an own goal
Club interviewer: “Early days in pre-season, what do you want to get out of the next few weeks?”
Eddie Howe: “We want to build our fitness and sharpness, the sharpness was missing [against Gateshead] but the fitness was pretty good. We want the team to play as we want it to play. I think there has been positive signs in the two friendlies we’ve played, we’ve looked in a relatively good place. Total control of both games. I would like us to create more and score more, but I think that will come as we start to go into that work. But I’m relatively pleased.”
Club interviewer: “Bristol City in midweek, it will be a different test, probably a step up in many ways, what do you want to get out of it?”
Eddie Howe: “I think that will be a big test for us because we will have a relatively similar squad [to the one against Gateshead]. So I think that is a good test for the lads. Obviously we have a few younger lads playing in the team, so that is a good test for them as well.”
In case you missed it, a total of 13 Newcastle United players were unavailable for the Gateshead match.
Aladji Bamba has only just joined United, whilst Yoane Wissa, Malick Thiaw, Anthony Elanga, Nick Woltemade, Dan Burn, Bruno Guimaraes and Bazoumana Toure have all been given an extended time away, due to their World Cup involvement.
Which left five other Newcastle United players to be accounted for, Eddie Howe detailing the other five absentees:
Sven Botman
“Sven just took a knock to his face [on Friday] in training. We hope it is nothing serious and he will be back pretty quickly.”
Will Osula
“Will Osula just has a tight groin, we think he will be fine in a week or so.”
Tino Livramento
“Tino Livramento will be around the start of the season we think. He had an operation, so he is probably the most longer term one but he should be back for the start of the season, fingers crossed.”
Lewis Miley
“Lewis Miley is making really good progress, we think he will be back in La Manga to train.”
Joelinton
“Joelinton is doing really well. He is running and we are just building up his fitness slowly, so he builds his robustness back.”
Newcastle United have this away friendly against Bristol City on Wednesday night and as Eddie Howe says, he expects a similar looking squad as the one that faced Gateshead. The 20 players who featured on Saturday were mainly first team squad players expected to be on the bench next season, supplemented by a lot of Under 21 players.
Things will really step up when after Bristol City, the Newcastle United squad will later this week fly off to Spain for their training camp at La Manga.
The final four friendlies kick-off at the end of the La Manga stay, away at Valencia 15 days before the Liverpool match.
I think that will be the time when we will start to see a more recognisable team on the pitch, that will bear more resemblance to what will be the case when the Premier League season kicks off.
Newcastle United matches:
Saturday 18 July 2026
Newcastle United 3 Darlington 0 (Willock, Osula, Neave with the goals)
Saturday 25 July 2026
Gateshead 1 Newcastle United 1 (An own goal giving United the draw)
Wednesday 29 July 2026
Bristol City v Newcastle United friendly 7.30pm
Saturday 8 August 2026
Valencia v Newcastle friendly 9pm local time (8pm UK time)
Wednesday 12 August 2026
Newcastle v Everton pre-season friendly with 5.15pm kick-off at Murrayfield.
Saturday 15 August 2026
Newcastle United v Bayer Leverkusen friendly at St James’ Park, 3pm.
Sunday 16 August 2026
Newcastle United v Strasbourg friendly at St James’ Park, 4pm.
Sunday 23 August 2026
Newcastle v Liverpool 4.30pm – United’s first Premier League match of the season
Wednesday 26 August 2026
Carabao Cup second round match, opposition and time TBC (Draw will be made in second week of August after first round matches have been played)
Saturday 29 August 2026
Spurs v Newcastle (5.30pm) Sky Sports
Tuesday 1 September 2026
Premier League transfer window closes at 11pm.
Saturday 5 September 2026
Newcastle v Bournemouth 12.30pm TNT Sports
Monday 14 September 2026
Leeds v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports
(Please note, should either club reach the Carabao Cup third round and be scheduled to play against a club participating in this season’s UEFA Champions League, the match will revert to Saturday 12 September and take place at 12:30pm)
Saturday 19 September 2026
Newcastle v Hull (3pm) No live TV