Eddie Howe Defends Anthony Gordon After Pundit Criticism
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has publicly defended forward Anthony Gordon following sharp criticism from football pundits, including club legend Alan Shearer, regarding Gordon's absence from the starting lineup in Tuesday's crucial Champions League clash against Barcelona. The Magpies' boss clarified the situation during a Friday press conference, confirming that Gordon had been sidelined due to illness but was willing to play in the high-stakes European fixture.
Shearer and Keane Question Gordon's Availability
Speaking as a pundit before the match, Alan Shearer, Newcastle's record goal scorer, expressed skepticism about Gordon's absence. "I know he doesn't feel well, but this is Barcelona at Newcastle for a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League," Shearer told Amazon Prime. "It would take something extraordinary to keep myself out of this game tonight." Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane echoed these sentiments on the Overlap, asking, "How can you be ill, but come on for half an hour?" Wayne Rooney also joined in with critical comments about the situation.
Howe Provides Detailed Clarification
Howe addressed the media directly to clear up any misunderstandings. "I do have to clear something up with Anthony Gordon. He was absolutely willing to play in the game against Barcelona," Howe stated emphatically. "I know there's a lot of comments. It was my decision not to start him based on the fact that he'd been ill that morning and hadn't attended the training session. He was prepared to play, but in consultation with the medical team, he didn't think he was fit to play."
Gordon was ultimately introduced as a 67th-minute substitute for Anthony Elanga at St James' Park. During his time on the pitch, Newcastle took a late lead through Harvey Barnes' goal, only for Barcelona's Lamine Yamal to snatch a 1-1 draw for the visitors with a stoppage-time penalty.
Gordon's Importance to Newcastle's Campaign
The 25-year-old England international has scored 10 goals in European competitions this season, making him a key player for Newcastle. Howe now faces a significant decision about whether to restore Gordon to the starting lineup for Saturday's Premier League match against Chelsea or save him for Wednesday night's crucial return leg at the Nou Camp in Barcelona.
When asked about Gordon's character and importance to the team, Howe spoke glowingly. "Ant, I'd probably categorise him as a winner," Howe said. "He wants to win everything, he's a real competitor. He's got that streak to him that I think all top players need where he's very single-minded, very focused on his development and his game."
Howe continued, "I can only speak really glowingly of him this year. It hasn't been a straightforward season for him. He's had a lot of challenges, as every player does. But I think he's probably in the best moment that he's been this season currently. He's playing really well. He's played, obviously a different role for us, adapted to that really, really well."
The manager acknowledged the pressure on Gordon, noting, "There's a lot of pressure on him and a lot of media attention on him and rightly so – he's an England international. He'll have his own aims and goals that he wants to achieve, but I think he's done really well."
Howe also revealed that skipper Bruno Guimaraes had requested to travel to Barcelona with the team after his planned return from rehabilitation in Brazil on Monday, highlighting the squad's commitment to their Champions League campaign.
