Eddie Howe discussed his future ahead of the visit of Brighton to his Newcastle United side.
The fitness of key attackers remains an issue on the agenda, but even the most ardent fans of Howe have struggled to stay behind the manager throughout a complicated campaign. For his part, Howe has the belief that the board will back him, and he hopes that the team’s form changes this week.
‘We need to use those past disappointments’
Brighton beat the Toon 2-1 after the October international break thanks to a Danny Welbeck brace, and they sit in sixth spot in the Premier League following a strong streak of form since March. If Newcastle can take something away from the game on Saturday afternoon, it will be a forward step.
"[Anthony Gordon] did part of a session on Wednesday. It was great to see him back and on the pitch. He's a player of huge quality and one we've missed. We'll make an assessment on his fitness closer to the game after seeing how he gets through today."
"[For Yoane Wissa] the only issue has been the injury he suffered [in September] and that he hadn't trained before then. When he returned he wasn't physically able to deliver the quality of performance he traditionally has done in the Premier League.
“There's no doubting the quality of the player, but can we get him in a physical condition to deliver his best performances before the end of the season?
“That's been the challenge. Since we've returned to full-team training we've seen a big lift in his performances because trying to get him fit with small numbers in training sessions is tough. As long as he continues to show that upward trajectory, we'll see the very best of him in the future."
“It was constructive [talking with the board and the hierarchy] - good meetings. They clearly care so much about the club and the long-term planning going on at a lot of levels shows there is exciting times ahead for the club, regardless of what happens short term. The long-term vision is clearly there.
“No change in terms of the support, the infrastructure or how people are working. I was pleased by the level of support given to me but, of course, I'm still understanding of how football works and that we need results. I've never needed clarity. I'm here, working and committed. That won't change.
“Obviously, the football club has to do what it needs to do. It has to see we're going in the right direction, there's a positive feeling and that we're fighting on all fronts to try to get results. I'm under no illusions the club needs results."
"We need a win, the positive that winnings brings and to keep the level of performance we had against Arsenal. We need to back that up at home. Our home form has not been good enough so a lot is riding on this weekend for us.
"We've had some defeats against [Brighton] recently, mostly in very tight games. I don't think we can look back. We need to look forward and use those past disappointments as motivations for the game."
