EDDIE HOWE BREAKS SILENCE AFTER FRUSTRATING WOLVES STALEMATE
The 0-0 result brought an end to Newcastle’s three-match winning streak in the Premier League and proved costly in the league standings. Victory would have lifted them into fifth place, but instead, a combination of weekend results saw them slip down to eighth.
Despite Wolves sitting rock-bottom of the table and still 14 points adrift of safety, they managed to frustrate Newcastle throughout the contest. It was also a rare outcome between the two teams, marking the first time a Premier League meeting at Molineux ended without either side scoring, after every previous encounter there had produced goals at both ends.
Newcastle dominated possession for long spells but struggled badly to break down a disciplined Wolves defence. In fact, it took until the final moments of the match for the visitors to register a shot on target, underlining just how difficult they found it to create clear chances.
Speaking after the game, Howe felt his side controlled proceedings but lacked sharpness where it mattered most.
“We had control of the match, but we didn’t have that cutting edge,” Howe explained. “Creating chances was a real problem for us. Wolves sat very deep, stayed compact, and made it hard to find any space.”
He added that Newcastle were often relying on something special to unlock the defence.
“We were hoping for a moment of individual brilliance or something from a set-piece. As the game went on, chances did come, but we didn’t take them.”
While Howe praised his players’ effort and commitment, he admitted the final third let them down.
“The work rate was there and the attitude was right, but maybe the quality wasn’t. We had a lot of the ball and kept trying to find a way through. I thought we improved as the game progressed, but we just couldn’t find that decisive moment.”
The Newcastle boss also revealed he urged his team to move the ball quicker after the break.
“Our ball retention was good and we dominated possession, but in the first half we moved it too slowly and allowed them to get organised. At half-time, I wanted us to speed things up, and I think we did that better in the second half.”
Defensively, Howe felt his side dealt well with Wolves’ main threat on the counter-attack.
“We always knew that would be their danger. They had a few moments in both halves, but our players showed a really good attitude to recover. We defended our goal well, which is a big positive away from home.”
Despite taking some encouragement from the performance, Howe made no secret of his disappointment.
“When you draw, the frustration is always there. Maybe later we’ll look back and see the positives. It was a solid performance overall, just without the goal at the end of it.”
The lack of attacking spark inevitably raised questions about whether Newcastle need new ideas or even new players in forward areas. Howe, however, was keen to defend his current squad.
“Nick and Yoane are very different types of strikers, but they both get labelled the same,” he said. “This is the squad we have, and I’m proud to manage them. We’ve got some very good players here.”
Still, Howe accepted criticism of Newcastle’s attacking output away from home.
“Today wasn’t good enough going forward, and there have been similar away performances. If people want to point that out, that’s fair. We have to find a way to score more goals when we’re on the road.”
When asked directly whether the club would look to bring in an attacker during the transfer window, Howe was blunt in his response.
“I don’t think we have the financial ability to do that.”
