Newcastle United have come a long way this season but Eddie Howe won’t shirk some emotional decisions this summer to take his side to the next level.
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Eddie Howe has stressed that he is prepared to make ‘tough calls’ for the benefit of Newcastle United – even if it means losing players he ‘loves’.
There are still 15 games to play before the window even opens, of course, as Newcastle attempt to secure a place in Europe, but Howe is making judgements on his players every day behind the scenes ahead of what promises to be a busy summer. Clearly, there will be no room for sentiment.
Ryan Fraser, who has a long history with Howe from their time at Bournemouth, has even been banished to the under-21s in recent weeks because the Magpies boss wanted to ‘concentrate on players that are committed to Newcastle’. To think Fraser was a starter just a year ago – as were Jonjo Shelvey and Chris Wood for that matter.
Although Howe did not plan on losing Shelvey and Wood back in January, the Newcastle head coach was ultimately prepared to let the pair join Nottingham Forest. Shelvey and Wood certainly won’t be the last senior pros to leave the club on Howe’s watch.
“I’ve done it many times,” Howe told reporters. “You lose players you love and you love them as a player and as a person, but sometimes it’s best for the team that they have to leave.
“That will always be the case in football – not just at our club but many other clubs. It’s part of football.
“Teams change now very quickly. The cycle and the turnover of players is very high – probably higher than it’s ever been. We’re prepared to make tough calls but always for the benefit of the team and the club.”
