Eddie Howe Says Newcastle Will Not 'shrink' In Barcelona Last-16 Second Leg

Every week in the past Eddie Howe referred to as it the “biggest match in the club’s history”, and that was in Newcastle; this time it is Barcelona, however Howe has insisted his gamers will not be overawed once they stroll out at Camp Nou for his or her Champions League last-16 second leg on Wednesday evening.

“You can’t shrink at the size of the game, and I don’t think we will,” the Newcastle supervisor stated. “We have got many players who have played in so many games now; we have become accustomed to it.”

Howe additionally stated that, strengthened by their 1-0 win against Chelsea on Sunday, his facet are in “as good a place as any time this season”, and he approached the second leg with confidence after he took a Lamine Yamal penalty in added time to disclaim them victory at St James’ Park in the primary leg.

Asked if a victory can be the most important of his profession, Howe replied: “It probably would be, yeah, but it’s irrelevant because that’s the outcome and we’re in the preparatory phase. We have to make sure our game plan, tactical delivery and individual performances are at the right level. We have another massive, massive game at the weekend [against Sunderland]so I don’t want to heap too much pressure on the players. I just want them to try to execute the best performance they can.

“We have many, many internationals in the squad so I don’t see [shrinking] as an issue. We have enough players who can cause them problems. We’ll enjoy the game, but we’ll only truly enjoy it if we deliver. I think we’re in a good place to do that, and the players are probably as confident as they’ve been on any stage this season.

“Our recent performances have been really strong. The individuals are performing at a really high level – that hasn’t always been the case. We need everything to go our way tomorrow. We know how good Barcelona are, but we believe in ourselves.

“We will try to be ourselves. We need a bit of everything. A defensive mentality [like] against Chelsea: blocking shots, defending in numbers. But also a bit of what we do best: our running capacity, our athleticism. There has been a really good battle between their midfield and ours in both games. We are going to need to be very good in our duels. The battle in midfield will go a long way to deciding the game.”

Howe also backed Sandro Tonali after his agent suggested that the Italian would be looking for a move in the summer. “The person that matters most is Sandro,” the 48-year-old said. “All I’ve ever seen from him is somebody who is completely dedicated, selfless. He is right here for all of the staff not himself. He had a very troublesome second when he first joined and confirmed energy and character to get via. Forget the noise, he’s absolutely dedicated.”

Kieran Trippier, meanwhile, said that he could never have imagined a moment like this when he joined Newcastle four years ago and said that if he does leave when his contract expires this summer he will go feeling satisfied. “I got criticized when I left Atlético [Madrid]; I got a lot of negativity for a lot of different reasons, but I had my reasons and this [game] justifies it a bit,” stated the defender. “I have no regrets, I never have with any decision in football.

“I by no means thought we’d play in the Champions League, to be sincere, and now we now have been right here twice. There have been two cup finals. This is the place we need to be. There have been many particular moments. Ten thousand Geordies are popping out speaks volumes: they’ve backed us in the robust moments.”