Howe ‘conscious of finding room’ for ‘outstanding’ Newcastle player after Nottm Forest exploits
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe says he is “conscious of” finding a place in his team for Harvey Barnes after his goal against Nottingham Forest.
The Magpies picked up an impressive 3-1 win at Forest on Sunday after going into the break 1-0 down.
They were superb in the second half, which head coach Howe has said “was up there with our best performances this season”.
Howe added that he knows Barnes – who scored his side’s third at the City Ground – has done enough to start but finding a place in his starting XI for the former Leicester City forward has proven difficult.
“It was difficult but we knew it would be,” he told BBC Sport. “They are a difficult team to play against because they don’t concede many chances and you’re left fearing the worst when you go behind. We had work to do at half time but credit to the players because the second half was up there with our best performances this season.
“Everything we didn’t do in the first half we did at the start of the second half. We were intense and direct with our attacking. We asked more questions and could have scored. I’m really pleased with the second half.
“We need our attacking players to contribute goals and Alex [Isak] has done that in the past few weeks with massive moments, then Joelinton and Harvey Barnes pop up with moments too. We know we have players who can make that difference and I’m really pleased with that side of our game.
“Harvey Barnes did what he does. He’s an outstanding player. Trying to find room for him in the team is something that I am conscious of. I’m really pleased he got that goal – I thought it was a fantastic finish.”
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Howe added to Sky Sports: “Hopefully they are a significant three points for us. We desperately didn’t want to fall flat today. It is a tough ground and team to play and to come from behind as well, it’s a really good day for us.
“I felt we were slightly inconsistent – I wasn’t that happy with our first-half performance. It was a bit slow and not direct enough. The passing was a bit sidewards. Credit to the players for the second half because that is everything we want to be. I thought we deserved to win.
“I wanted to see more energy and more sprinting and more direct duels. We were turning down opportunities to attack and that isn’t like us and it suited Nottingham Forest.
“Joelinton is like gold dust because wherever you put him you know he’s going to do a good job. His attitude never changes in training. He’s playing in different positions so he has to do the training. I’m really pleased again with his performance.
“The Premier League is really, really tight this season and you need consistent victories and it can really elevate you. Everyone is searching for a formula that guarantees them victories. We’ve looked much more like ourselves in the past few games. I still feel there is more to come and we can improve, and we’ve got room to improve.”
Speaking after the victory, goalscorer Barnes said: “You could see it was just a matter of time for Alexander Isak once he scored that he would go on a run. We are a much better side when he’s firing. It’s great for him to get on the scoresheet again.
“I want to start games. You never want to be on the bench, but when you are, you do everything you can when you come onto the pitch to get back into the team. I can do what I do from the bench from the beginning.
“The league table is so tight. It’s nice to move up a few places, but the international break comes at the wrong time for us really because we’re on a good run.”
