27 November 2023 , 18:42
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Eddie Howe has admitted the fear of being dumped out of the Champions League in a “huge” make-or-break clash with PSG is driving Newcastle.
The Geordies will crash out of the competition if they lose in Paris, and could even be out of Europe altogether if they lose and Milan beat Dortmund, meaning they finish bottom of Group F.
But Howe says Newcastle haven’t come this far so quickly to crash out before the knockout stages and says they are at the Parc des Princes to win. Newcastle beat PSG 4-1 on Tyneside but have failed to score in their other three games, and need an uplift with an injury ravaged squad.
Howe said: “There was a real motivation in the squad to create an incredible season for ourselves this year. And we can still do that in this competition. And it's driving us forward every day.
“We want to be in it as long as we can. And that makes it a huge moment in our season. Fear of failure is a motivating factor for me in my career. The thought of losing, doesn't sit comfortably with me. Everything for me is geared to try and avoid that feeling of losing and the elation of winning.
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“I don't think the motivation, the hunger, couldn’t be any bigger for us at the moment. I don't think it's a bigger motivation for me, because I feel I'm motivated for every game in the same way.”
Howe has not wasted energy on working out the permutations with a Milan game to play at home in a fortnight. He added: “We prefer to try and win this game so we can do and then worry about Milan afterwards.
"We're certainly not in a strong position. We're not in the position that we wanted to be. But we are where we are. We have to just focus on this game.” Lewis Miley, 17, will start after his excellent show in the 4-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday.
PSG boss Luis Enrique praised Newcastle’s intensity after watching them beat Chelsea and Howe said: “I think we need different tools for different games. We've had a successful formula that has been a big force for us.
“But we have tweaked and for different games, we've had different game-plans. Certainly this is a one-off game for us, so quite how we're going to prepare and what we're going to do, you'll have to wait and see.”