Eddie Howe responds to questions over his future after derby defeat to Sunderland | OneFootball

Eddie Howe admits he is is disappointed in himself following a dismal week for Newcastle, having lost to fierce rivals Sunderland 2-1 at home.

The defeat in the Tyne-Wear derby means Sunderland have done the double over Newcastle this season, and also follows the Magpies’ heavy defeat to Barcelona earlier in the week.

“I’m fully committed to the job,” Howe said when asked about his future at the club.

“I’m disappointed in my delivery today and my delivery in the last week. The Barcelona game was very tough, today is even tougher.

“I always, as I said after the Brentford game, absorb that blame myself, I don’t look to deflect it anywhere else, certainly won’t deflect it to my players. I want to protect my players.

“That’s how I look at it. It’s going to be a tough, painful few days for me.”

Howe admits his players are feeling the impact of a demanding recent run of games, but insists their consistency levels have to improve.

“I don’t think we’re too far away, personally,” he said. “I think it’s very easy to look at it as all bad but I don’t think we’re too far away.

“I think our recent form has been inconsistent, it’s been patchy all season. We’ve had good bits and bad bits. I’ve felt all along that we’ve steadily got a bit better since earlier in the season but probably the progress hasn’t been as quick as I’d want it to be.

“Some of the fixtures we’ve had in recent weeks have been unrelenting for us. The challenges that we’ve faced have continually really stretched us and taken us to a place where we’re right on the limit and I think we could do with a period of rest for the players and then some real training.

“Hopefully that will help us and we’ll see the effects of that in our remaining games, but certainly there has to be an upturn in our consistency, that has to improve.”