Newcastle: Howe hits back at Keane, Rooney and Shearer over Gordon criticism | OneFootball

Eddie Howe has addressed the criticism of Anthony Gordon and the “sickness” which kept him from starting for Newcastle against Barcelona.

Gordon was introduced in the 67th minute on Tuesday after illness kept him out of the starting lineup for the visit of Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie, when the Magpies suffered the crushing blow of a stoppage-time equaliser from Lamine Yamal after Harvey Barnes had given them the lead.

The England winger didn’t appear to be suffering to any great extent after he entered the fray and an “old school” punditry trio couldn’t get their heads around it.

Shearer, speaking on Prime Video before the game, said: “Maybe I’m old school, but if you’re fit enough to train in the morning, and I know he doesn’t feel well, but this is Barcelona at Newcastle for a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. It would take something extraordinary to keep myself out of this game tonight.”

Roy Keane, weighing in on The Overlap, said: “How can you be ill and come on for half an hour? It’s bizarre, isn’t it?”

When Gary Neville defended Gordon, Keane added: “Oh Gary, because you did an interview with him last year and you thought he was a really nice lad! How can you be ill, but come on for half an hour?

“You hear managers every week say, “He’s not fit enough to start, but he’ll be good enough for the bench”. Something might happen after five minutes. I don’t get it. If he’s that important, start him and take him off after half an hour.”

Rooney added: “Eddie Howe said before the game that he probably has 20 or 30 minutes in him. That’s telling you the sports scientists and the doctors are (suggesting he can play). If you’re ill, you’re ill.

“You shouldn’t be there. He walked past us before the game and wouldn’t shake our hands. He said he didn’t want us to catch anything, but then he’s going into the dressing room with his team-mates.”

But Howe hit back at the trio ahead of his side’s clash with Chelsea on Saturday, insisting Gordon would have started if the Newcastle boss had allowed him.

Howe said: “I do have to clear something up with Anthony Gordon. He was absolutely willing to play in the game against Barcelona. I know there’s a lot of comments. It was my decision not to start him based on the fact that he’d been ill that morning and hadn’t attended the training session. So he was prepared to play, but in consultation with the medical team, we didn’t think he was fit to play.”

Howe added: “My perception is that he does face a lot of scrutiny, but I think that comes with being a top player. As soon as you play for England, you go to a different level in terms of scrutiny and expectation. I think Ant has done that well and he’s single-minded enough to blank out a lot of the noise. It’s one of his strengths.

“I’d categorise him as a winner. He wants to win everything, he’s a real competitor. He’s got that streak to him that I think all top players need where he’s very single-minded, very focused on his development and his game. I can only speak really glowingly of him this year. He’s probably in the best moment he’s been this season.”