Howe Sees Room for Improvement at Newcastle
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has stated that he sees room for improvement in his team despite their impressive start to the 2023-24 season. The Magpies currently sit in second place in the Premier League table, having lost just one game so far, a 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
"We are not the finished article yet," Howe said after the Liverpool game. "We need to improve in certain areas, and we need to be more consistent. But the players are working hard, and I am confident that we can continue to improve."
Howe's comments come after a season where Newcastle finished fourth in the Premier League and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years. While the start to the season has been impressive, there have been concerns over their recent performances, with a lack of goals and a stuttering midfield causing some worry.
One area where Howe wants to see improvement is in the team's attacking play. Newcastle have scored 15 goals in their first seven Premier League games, which is a decent return, but Howe feels they can be more clinical in front of goal.
"We need to be more ruthless in the final third," Howe said. "We are creating chances, but we are not taking enough of them. We need to be more clinical in front of goal."
Another area where Howe wants to see improvement is in the team's defensive solidity. Newcastle have conceded eight goals in their first seven Premier League games, which is a decent record, but Howe believes they can be more organized at the back.
"We need to be more solid defensively," Howe said. "We need to be more compact and more difficult to break down. We need to be more disciplined and more focused."
Despite the areas of improvement, Howe is still confident that Newcastle can compete for a top-four place this season.
"We have a good squad, and we have a good team spirit," Howe said. "We are all working together, and we are all pulling in the same direction. I am confident that we can achieve our goals."
Newcastle's next game is a home clash against Brentford on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if Howe's side can bounce back from their defeat to Liverpool and continue their impressive start to the season.
