Shameful criticism of Eddie Howe for the latest decision

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Eddie Howe will hopefully take Newcastle United to their first Cup quarter-final since 2005 tonight.

A time frame that, to no one’s surprise, contains Mike Ashley’s entire era of control.

Leicester City the visitors and big favorites Newcastle United to win this Carabao Cup quarter-final, all they have to do is go out and justify this confidence from the bookmakers / punters.

In recent days, as we approach this game, since Saturday’s game, I have seen disgraceful criticism from Eddie Howe for his latest team selection decision, against Sheffield Wednesday.

I know a lot of this criticism comes from disguised trolls/mackems etc, but some of it is clearly coming from a number of Newcastle United fans.

The narrative goes something like this

You should always play your best team, no matter what other games are coming up

You shouldn’t prioritize Premier League games over cup competitions

Nothing has changed since Mike Ashley, new owners and Eddie Howe not taking cuts seriously, facing weakened teams

Eddie Howe has explained his very credible reasons for selecting the team at Hillsborough in a number of interviews, but a decent minority of Newcastle fans still won’t accept the obvious.

The idea that you can just keep playing your best eleven players every game, no matter how many games you have to play in a certain amount of time, is just crazy. In other words, if you want to have a realistic chance of minimizing injuries and having players on the field capable of performing to their potential.

In other words, for starters, if Callum Wilson had started against Sheffield on Wednesday, then surely any rational staff would accept that he couldn’t have started against Leicester tonight. Given his injury record throughout his career.

Perhaps the biggest flaw in the arguments of Eddie Howe’s critics is when they talk about disrespecting the cuts, just as happened under Mike Ashley, putting the Premier League before the cuts etc.

In this case, it’s Eddie Howe prioritizing one cup over another, not the Premier League over cups.

With the FA Cup third round tie and this Carabao Cup quarter-final so close together, something had to/must give.

Newcastle were just beginning their FA Cup journey on Saturday, while tonight we are one step away from a semi-final. Do the math

For all morale seems low at Leicester and they have injuries they are still a Premier League side with a lot of very good players Sheffield Wednesday are not a cup as they showed on Saturday but the Eddie Howe’s side were still more than capable of winning this FA Cup game. NUFC topped the game with 75% possession and had a lot more chances, a lot more very good chances, it wasn’t Eddie Howes fault that Wood, Anderson, Isak, Ritchie and others all got missed great opportunities. Once they are on the pitch there is nothing more he can do, and if Newcastle had won at Sheff Wed no one would have criticized the team selection. You might as well blame Eddie Howe for the team selection against Leeds, when his team failed to score and win despite being the better side by far.

In the end, Eddie Howe could only play his best team possible tonight against Leicester, in addition to giving those players the best possible chance to give their best and as a team, if he brought many changes last Saturday.

He gave Newcastle United their best possible chance of advancing to that semi-final and now it’s up to the players to do so on the pitch.

Full Newcastle United fixture and live TV schedule so far confirmed until end of February 2023 (along with the various cup dates in both competitions):

Saturday 7 January 2023 Sheffield Wednesday 2 Newcastle United 1

Tuesday 10 January 2023 Newcastle v Leicester (8pm) Sky Sports (Carabao Cup quarter-final)

Sunday 15 January 2023 Newcastle v Fulham (2pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 21 January 2023 Crystal Palace – Newcastle (5.30pm) Sky Sports

(W/C) Monday 23 January 2023 Carabao Cup semi-final first leg

(Weekend of) Saturday 28 January 2023 FA Cup Fourth Round

(W/C) Monday, January 23, 2023 Carabao Cup semi-final second leg

Saturday 4 February 2023 Newcastle – West Ham (5.30pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 11 February 2023 Bournemouth – Newcastle (5.30pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 18 February 2023 Newcastle – Liverpool (5.30pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 25 February 2023 Newcastle v Brighton (12.30pm) BT Sport

Sunday February 26, 2023 Carabao Cup Final

(midweek of) Wednesday 1 March 2023 FA Cup Fifth Round

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