Newcastle boss Eddie Howe says his players ‘gave everything’ after League Cup final loss to Man Utd
A disappointed Eddie Howe has given his verdict on Newcastle’s 2-0 loss to Manchester United in the League Cup final, but says his team can be proud of their performance.
It was a fantastic opportunity for the Magpies to win their first trophy since 1955, but despite putting in a battling performance, they ultimately failed to find a breakthrough.
Casemiro opened the scoring for the Red Devils in the 33rd minute, heading home a sublime cross from Luke Shaw. The Brazilian was excellent throughout the match, too.
Then, just six minutes later, the Manchester club doubled their lead through a Sven Botman own goal, after a Marcus Rashford shot deflected and found its way into Loris Karius’ net.
Newcastle put in an admirable performance in the second half and did everything they could to find a goal, but luck wasn’t on their side today.
But, their resurgence this season has been nothing short of incredible and they will undoubtedly be back to fight for major trophies in the future.
Howe has ‘no complaints’ over how Newcastle played
Despite it being a disappointing day for Howe and his team, the English coach has praised his team’s effort and determination and will ‘take positives’ from their performance.
“We played really well between both boxes today, we gave everything but we just didn’t get those breaks at both ends. We should have defended the free-kick better [for Casemiro’s goal] and then the second goal is a killer,” Howe said.
“We did everything to get back in the game. We had chances but couldn’t take them and that’s why we lost.
“No complaints with how we played, obviously the scoreline doesn’t say that, and that’s where football can be cruel.
“Individually and collectively I thought we played well but it just didn’t happen in the box and we need to work on that.
“I can’t take positives from losing but I can from the performance. They’ve been committed and give everything for the club. I’m sorry we couldn’t deliver for the fans today.”
“The competition we are in now is at a very high level and we need to bridge that gap. Games are decided by small margins so we need to improve and hopefully, we can enjoy more days like this.”
Newcastle still have plenty to fight for this season as they currently sit in fifth place in the Premier League, just four points behind fourth-placed Tottenham.
Now, Howe and his team will put their full focus on qualifying for the Champions League next season and look to bounce back from this defeat with a huge game against Manchester City on Saturday.
READ MORE: Newcastle tipped to land major coup this summer as frustrated Arsenal star plots Emirates escape
