Eddie Howe does not care what anyone outside the city thinks of Newcastle United as the Magpies boss called on players and staff to ‘protect each other’ against Arsenal in their Carabao Cup semi-final clash.
Newcastle have only ever won once at the Emirates, but Howe’s team travel to North London full of belief following six wins on the bounce and this side have previously frustrated Gunners on their own turf. In fact, it is just a couple of years ago that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hissed Newcastle had ‘never played like this’ following a goalless draw in the capital.
Jamaal Lascelles was among five Newcastle players to be booked that night, despite being an unused substitute, while Howe even squared up to Arteta on the touchline after the Spaniard repeatedly wailed in the fourth official’s ear during a feisty clash. Newcastle have evolved considerably since then, but the visitors are going to need that all-for-one mentality once again on Tuesday night to take a result into the second-leg at St James’ Park.
“You always have to stand up for each other as long as it’s in a controlled way,” Howe told reporters. “I don’t want us to lose discipline in any way. We have been pretty good with that this season.
“There is a line in terms of your behaviour that you don’t want to cross. You don’t want to be reckless, but we have to be strong and resolute, and definitely protect each other on the pitch. Off the pitch, in terms of our conduct, it’s got to be again strong and resolute but not reckless.”
Newcastle have certainly been strong and resolute in recent weeks. The Magpies have conceded just two goals since December 14 and players and staff backed each other up after a melee broke out in the tunnel against Aston Villa last month. That was an afternoon when Howe stressed ‘sometimes you have to stand up to what you think is right and protect each other’ after Newcastle assistant Jason Tindall and Aston Villa analyst Victor Manas were sent off at half-time.
Arsenal offer a different challenge entirely, but Newcastle will take confidence from being the last English side to defeat the Gunners back in November. Arteta pointedly said Newcastle were ‘really good at what they do and we got dragged into that’ after the black-and-whites limited his side to just one measly shot on target at St James’ Park. Howe, though, branded Arteta’s comments ‘irrelevant’ having once memorably declared his side were here to compete – not to be popular.
“The competitive side of our game has to be there regardless of the opponent, regardless of the competition,” he said. “We are here to try and win and ultimately that’s all we are driven for.
“The popular stuff? I don’t really care what happens outside of Newcastle. The perception other teams have of us? It doesn’t really worry me. It’s all about us making sure we are happy with who we are and how we are performing.”
You have to go back to 2010 for Newcastle’s sole triumph at the Emirates, but the black-and-whites are fresh from back-to-back wins at Spurs and Manchester United. After recording just a second league victory at Old Trafford in more than half a century last week, this is another chance for Newcastle to make a bit of history.
“We’re aware that there are certain records that we need to do better in and that’s, obviously, one we haven’t done well in historically and we would love to change that,” Howe added. “We can’t talk about it – we have got to deliver it.”
