Eddie Howe reacts to Newcastle United Champions League capitulation v Barcelona
Newcastle United crashed out of the Champions League after Barcelona hammering.
Newcastle United’s heaviest ever European defeat on a night that, for a while, promised so much more.
But a second half capitulation wiped away the fact they competed with Barcelona for three quarters of the Champions League last 16 tie.
An Anthony Elanga double had twice pulled NUFC back into the game, but a second half blitz, that threatened to be so much worse at times, ended United’s run in the competition. Final score 8-3 on aggregate, 7-2 on the night.
And here’s what Eddie Howe had to say about disappointment in Catalonia.
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Eddie Howe reacts to Newcastle United Barcelona defeat
Howe said: “The defending today was not on the level that it was just a few days ago at Chelsea. Starting with the first goal, where two players slipped, then we concede a set play, then probably the big one was the penalty.
“So as well as we played in the first half, I thought we were outstanding in many aspects. It was really a great representation of how we want to play. There are too many individual errors within the performance to carry that great performance through.
“It was really, if we performed anywhere near, or defended anywhere near than we can, I think we'd be leading at half-time.
“I didn't see a need to necessarily change how we were playing at half-time. I thought we were really, really strong. But then of course we concede another set play.
“The first four goals we're looking at again, in terms of how we play, it's a strange execution of the goals against us. I don't think psychologically you can say that we recovered from the moment at half-time. That's what it looked like to me.
“In the second half we certainly didn't have the same energy. And when the game was effectively over, we hadn't lost that level either. So we came in very, very well in the second half. And even changing to play lower and deeper and compact space didn't really help us at all.”