Eddie Howe on Gordon injury, Atleti defeat, goalscorers, challenges ahead and…Alexander Isak | OneFootball

Eddie Howe watched on as his team lost their final pre-season friendly.

A 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

The match played of course without Alexander Isak involved.

Eddie Howe talked about the match and…Alexander Isak afterwards.

Eddie Howe asked about absence of a goalscorer(s):

“I think in the pre-season games, that this would be a fair assessment.

“I don’t think I’m thinking any different but we can still win football matches.

“We need to turn the margins, the little things, in our favour.

“We need to look across the board at how we can get more goals into the team.

“That has always been part of the coach’s job, to find a way to win.

“That is what we have got to do.

“I have always tried to keep a very balanced view on things.

“It is never as good as you think it is when you feel good…and it is never as bad as you think it is when you feel bad.

“At the moment, I’m very neutral.

“I have seen the challenges and I know the challenges that we face.

“This is new territory for us but I also believe from those tough moments you can actually build something even more special, if you come out the other side, and that’s a big IF.

“So for me, the priority now is the players that we have fit and available.

“Making sure that they are fully understanding of what’s expected of them and making sure we’re resilient enough to deal with a lot of outside noise, a lot of speculation on us.

“Which through no fault of our own is negative. We need to cut that out, unite even stronger.’

Eddie Howe on the Alexander Isak situation:

“I think everything is at play because he is contracted to us, he’s our player.

“The club basically make the decision on his future.

“I don’t know what that will be.

“Of course, I do have a preferred outcome.

“I want the best and strongest squad possible.

“But also, I want players that really want to play for this football club.

“That (Alexander Isak decision) will be for other people to make.

“I’m just trying to manage the situation and manage the team, most importantly.

“To manage the group of players that I’m working with day to day, that I love coaching and helping, and we are focusing on Aston Villa.

“Everything else, to a degree, from my perspective, is not in my control, so it is not my focus.”

Eddie Howe asked whether he personally could convince Alexander Isak to stay:

“If it was that easy I would be doing it.

“I’d have done it yesterday.

“But it’s not that easy.

“I want him training and I want him playing for us.

“So I think by that you can see my want and wish.

“But from both sides it has to be right.”

Eddie Howe on Anthony Gordon after he was forced off late in the match due to injury:

“We hope that he is okay.

“I think it’s an ankle twist (Anthony Gordon confirmed this was the case on social media on Saturday night).”

Eddie Howe on Sven Botman who only played the first half:

“That was the pre-game plan.

“I thought he came through it well.

“He is such a big player and we just need to keep him fit.

“So we are just managing his games.”

Eddie Howe on right-back Harrison Ashby who was used in midfield on Saturday:

“I think the biggest thing today is that I liked his attitude.

“He attacked the position.

“He very rarely plays that position, although he has trained there for us.

“It’s a sign of our squad depth…

“We are stretched in midfield.”

Final score:

Newcastle 0 Atletico Madrid 2

Goals:

Newcastle:

Atletico Madrid: Alvarez 50, Griezmann 63

Attendance:

51,584

Newcastle team v Atletico Madrid:

Pope, Ashby (Alfie Harrison 61), Lascelles, Botman (Alex Murphy 46), Livramento, Trippier (Shahar 87), Joelinton, Tonali, Elanga, Gordon (Neave 84), Barnes

Unused Subs:

Ruddy, Gillespie, Charlton, Kuol, Sanusi

Newcastle United pre-season friendly schedule 2025/26

Saturday 12 July – Newcastle 4 Carlisle 0 (Behind closed doors)

Saturday 19 July – Celtic 4 Newcastle 0

Sunday 27 July – Arsenal 3 Newcastle 2

Wednesday 30 July – Team K-League All Stars 1 Newcastle 0

Sunday 3 August- Spurs 1 Newcastle 1

Friday 8 August – Newcastle 2 Espanyol 2

Saturday 9 August – Newcastle 0 Atletico Madrid 2