Newcastle: Howe says side’s inconsistency is a ‘horrible feeling’

Using the disappointment of a painful away defeat to bounce back has become a recurring theme for Newcastle this season, following losses against Brentford, West Ham and Marseille in the last couple of months, and Howe said that is not how he wants his team to be operating.

But Newcastle have to quickly rally once again when Howe’s trophy holders meet Fulham in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup at St James’ Park on Wednesday.

Captain Bruno Guimaraes recognised that Newcastle won’t be able to truly “set things right”, until the next Tyne-Wear derby in March, having labelled his side’s weekend performance a “mess”.

Howe said that talking off the pitch was “important”, but the head coach stressed it “pales in significance against your will to prepare”.

“Bruno’s comments were 90% right, initially,” Howe said. “I don’t think we were a mess. I don’t think the other parts of his original comments were wrong.

“We weren’t a mess – we were very well organised. We just didn’t deliver the performance that we wanted to.

“Bruno is very emotional and that’s part of his success. That’s why he’s such an outstanding player for us and leader for us.

“It’s making sure our messaging is right to the outside world. The mindset now is we can’t affect the past – we can only affect the future. We need to do that today.”

Newcastle will have to do so without influential defender Dan Burn, who is out for four to six weeks after breaking a rib and puncturing a lung in the derby.