Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has to make difficult decisions, which sometimes means disappointing his players.
As he juggles a much deeper Newcastle United squad, the Toon boss is going to be under a lot more pressure to keep his players happy. Such is the nature of the beast, it is impossible for everyone to be getting the chances they feel they deserve.
On Sunday’s edition of Match of the Day, Theo Walcott questioned Howe and his ability to make difficult decisions throughout the season with regards to squad selection, but the Newcastle United manager has already done exactly that.
Eddie Howe praises Jamaal Lascelles despite already disappointing him
When Newcastle United announced their Champions League squad, there was one glaring omission.
Jamaal Lascelles was left out by Newcastle, despite being such a key player during the club’s last European adventure.
The Magpies could only name a 21-man squad, which resulted in the 31-year-old centre-back being excluded.
It was a blow for Lascelles, and Howe has admitted during his pre-match press conference before Bradford City that the defender was certainly ‘disappointed’ by the decision.
“I think he was disappointed, of course, because he’s a winner,” he said.
“He wants to compete and he wants to play like everybody else does.
“Coming back from his serious knee injury, he’s done really well to come back in the way that he has. He looks in great shape.
“That was a big blow for him. And competition in that position is now really hot. We’ve got some really good defenders at the football club, and Jamaal is one of them.”
Jamaal Lascelles must get Carabao Cup opportunity
With Lascelles unavailable for the Champions League and far away from the Premier League starting XI, it is essential that he gets an opportunity in the Carabao Cup.
Newcastle United face Bradford City in the third round of the competition on Wednesday night, and it would be great to see Lascelles named in Howe’s side. If he is, it will be his first competitive start since suffering a serious knee injury in March 2024.
Lascelles featured against Bournemouth, coming off the bench as the Magpies saw out a 0-0 draw. Next up is the Carabao Cup, and it is an ideal time for the defender to be promoted to the starting XI.
Fabian Schar is ruled out due to concussion, while Howe could be reluctant to start Malick Thiaw yet again so soon after the Bournemouth draw. He will likely be saved for Arsenal on Sunday, which should open the door for Lascelles to come into the side.
If he does feature, it will be a chance for Lascelles to remind everyone associated with Newcastle United what he is capable of. It is one he must take, in a season where chances like this could be rare.
Leave a Reply