Eddie Howe explained that his decision to substitute Nick Woltemade and Anthony Gordon at half-time in Newcastle United’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham was a response to a disappointing first-half display.
Newcastle had taken an early lead through Jacob Murphy, but goals from Lucas Paquetá and a Sven Botman own goal saw West Ham go into the break 2-1 ahead. At half-time, Howe made a triple change, replacing Woltemade and Gordon — the team’s two top scorers this season — along with Emil Krafth, who was substituted for Fabian Schär.
Speaking after the match, Howe admitted his frustration with the first-half performance:
“We started well but let the game slip away. The longer it went on, the more frustrated I became. We were unrecognisable in certain aspects of our play, so I wanted to bring energy, a different dynamic, and fresh relationships on the pitch.”
When asked specifically about taking off his key attackers, Howe added:
“Honestly, I could have taken anyone off. It’s very rare for me to feel that way, but the team needed shaking up. It wasn’t about individuals — it was about changing the feeling of the game.”
The tactical reshuffle, however, failed to spark a comeback, with Tomáš Souček sealing West Ham’s victory deep into stoppage time.
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