Eddie Howe’s brilliant run at Newcastle United has now come up against the Black Cats – 11 – and he has come under heavy attack.
More – Newcastle vs Sunderland review, video highlights
The Magpies have conceded all six points to the newly promoted sides after losing at home to Sunderland in Sunday’s Tyne and Wear derby.
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Régis Lebres struck again at half-time as Newcastle fell behind their rivals at the top of the Premier League table.
The game was suspended due to accusations of racial abuse against a player.
What did Howe have to say about his recent derby defeat?
Eddie Howe’s reaction – Newcastle boss speaks after yet another Tyne and Wear derby defeat
What to do about losses? “It was a painful, difficult afternoon for us. Good start. When we scored we wanted to dominate the game. We never really capitalized on the momentum. The first half failed. Second half we were second. Too many giveaways. Too many times we gave Sunderland momentum. Defeat was cruel for us.”
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“We have to really look at ourselves and make sure we learn from all the mistakes we make. This has happened to us before. This is not a one-off. Yes, there are mitigations in place.”
“It was such a delicate balance. Sven hit the post. Malik’s goal was chalked off. Those are huge momentum swingers for us. We wanted that second goal. We need to defend our goal better than those two moments when we conceded.”
What is your response to this? “We have some big games coming up. We have the opportunity to go into different phases of the season. We can train every week and maybe freshen up our performances. We’re going to be dealing with that challenge in negative situations so we need to have enough character to deal with it.”
Still hoping to reach Europe? “We will never give up on anything. We will always give our best. I would like to see more possession and better chances. We have a lot to reflect on.”
On suspension due to alleged racism: “We do not tolerate any racism and the club will investigate this.”
