Newcastle United Head Coach has praised the attitude of striker Callum Wilson following his return from injury this week. Howe also made clear that his side must stand up to pressure ahead of a trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace. Daniel Wales reports.
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00:00There wasn't a lot of positivity following Newcastle United's 2-0 defeat at home to West
00:06Ham earlier in the week. Both the result and performance came as something of a surprise,
00:11given the recent wins against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest, which had seen the Magpies
00:15climb to 18 points in the Premier League. A win against West Ham would have seen them
00:20move to sixth place and only two points behind second-placed Manchester City.
00:26Newcastle had lacked fluidity and creativity against the Hammers and also conceded two
00:30goals which would not have pleased Eddie Howe from a defensive point of view. There was
00:35also concern over the fitness of captain Bruno Gimaraes and midfielder Joe Willock, who were
00:40both removed from the action due to knocks that they picked up during the game.
00:46Howe was quick to confirm that neither of the injuries were serious, and both players
00:50had a chance of featuring at Selhurst Park on Saturday. With regards to Gimaraes, Howe
00:55praised his strong mentality, noting the pressures of playing for Brazil and his leadership role
01:00at Newcastle, highlighting that a tricky encounter such as the loss against West Ham was a good
01:05test for him as skipper, a role that he assumed at the club during the summer off-season.
01:13Perhaps the only bright spot for Monday's defeat was the return of striker Callum Wilson,
01:18who has had to deal with several injury setbacks over the last few months. The substitute appearance
01:23against West Ham was his first action of any kind this season, which naturally has
01:28been a frustration not only for Howe and supporters in terms of team selection, but also for Wilson
01:33himself, who will no doubt have wanted to be involved in helping the team on the pitch.
01:39Howe acknowledged this and made clear of the striker's positive attitude in training and
01:44his desire to stay fit from now on. He also highlighted that Wilson's focus is on his
01:49current performances rather than his contract situation, which expires at the end of the
01:54season. The club certainly have a decision to make over Wilson's future, given his age
01:59and injury record, but also his goal contributions when he is fit and available to play.
02:06Finally, given how tight the Premier League is this season, the blow of losing against
02:11West Ham was not as profound as it could have been, and victory on Saturday would steady
02:16the ship after this wobble. Howe made clear that the fixture against the Eagles would
02:21be another test of Newcastle's mentality, and one that they must rise to in such a competitive
02:26league in order to regain the momentum that they had going into the West Ham fixture.
02:34A return to Europe is certainly a priority this season, with potential ramifications
02:39should they not qualify for any continental competition, of player sales and dissatisfaction
02:44amongst supporters. All of the talk around Newcastle with regards to them becoming an
02:49elite club must be followed up on the pitch to make clear their intentions, and to not
02:55get left behind.