Eddie Howe shuts down Newcastle sack talk as Sunderland boss ramps up pressure
Eddie Howe is convinced the Tyne-Wear Derby won't be his last act as Toon boss.
The Newcastle boss says he has support within the club, despite losing nine games out of the last 13 in a two-month slump. Howe insists he doesn’t need daily "reassurances" as he faces a game which could reboot Newcastle’s season - or send it into crisis.
Newcastle need to keep their hopes of a trophy alive against Sunderland, and Howe admits it is a "game like no other" that his side are up for winning for the first time since 2011. Sunderland have won six out of the last seven Tyne-Wear Derby games.
Asked if it could be his "last act" Howe said: "I hope not! Obviously I know it's a results-based business - but I do feel the support from the club and that's really important at this moment. We communicate all the time. I certainly don't need daily reassurances. I feel comfortable in the fact that we are working as hard as we can to improve performances and improve results."
Derby games can alter the mood around a team of manager but Howe said: "I am not thinking of it like that. We are looking to win, then it becomes a different thing entirely. We are not here to experience it, we are here, as always, to grab the challenge, hit it straight on and win the match and progress in the FA Cup.
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"Whether kickstarting the season is the right word but it can certainly reboot us and just change the external and even internal view of ourselves because it can change very quickly. Confidence is a very fragile thing for the players as well so anything that helps them re-find their best rhythm as quickly as possible is what we’re seeking."
Eddie Howe still has the full support of Newcastle's owners, including Amanda Staveley (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)Do you think Newcastle will beat Sunderland? Let us know in the comments below!
Sunderland boss Michael Beale claimed his club is as big as the Toon - apart from the Saudi cash - and Howe reacted: "I’m not going to get into a war of words with any manager, I just don’t think it’s wise to make those comparisons or comments.
"We know who we are and what we are. I certainly know more about the size of this football club since managing it, and the future is very bright no matter what happens in the short term."
Howe also retains the support of the vast majority of Toon fans and said: "We don't take that for granted. We value it greatly and will continue to give our best in the knowledge that with the quality we've got we can turn things around."
The Newcastle boss has been to Sunderland to cheer his boys' football teams on. He joked: "It’s been an interesting experience! Those are the only times I’ve been there. Did they win? I can’t remember, probably not."
However he did relegate Sunderland when his Bournemouth team won there. He added: "You know it is a game like no other. It won’t be underestimated. You have to get a balance right between building it up and controlling emotion playing the game, not the occasion."
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