Eagle-eyed fans claim Pep Guardiola told Eddie Howe that it wasn’t Newcastle’s usual style of play during their FA Cup meeting on Saturday evening.
Manchester City progressed to the semi-finals at Wembley after their 2-0 win over the Magpies at the Etihad, with Bernardo Silva getting both goals from deflected opportunities.
But some fans believe that the Man City boss was quick to query why Newcastle weren’t their usual selves during the game, asking Howe about it at the final whistle.
The Newcastle boss is seen talking to his opposite number, and embracing the words and thoughts of Guardiola, before the camera moves on.
Fans claim Pep Guardiola told Eddie Howe ‘that’s not how you usually play’ after FA Cup tie
Newcastle boss Howe and assistant Jason Tindall spoke to Guardiola during the handshake
The defeat leaves Newcastle without any silverware yet again this season, and with an uphill battle to get back into Europe as they currently sit tenth in the league.
Speaking in the pre-match press conference ahead of the FA Cup tie, Howe denied claims he wanted the season to end quickly, but admitted it had been a ‘hugely frustrating’ campaign.
He also reassured Magpies fans that he is holding his players to account behind the scenes following their 3-2 defeat to Chelsea on Monday night.
Their year has been disrupted by injury and Sandro Tonali’s gambling ban, which has left them in tenth place in the league, and ejected from both cup competitions at the quarter-final stage.
Last season, they finished fourth in the Premier League, and reached the Carabao Cup final, where they lost to Manchester United at Wembley.
On Friday, Howe told reporters: ‘It’s been hugely frustrating. I said last year that when you went to watch Newcastle you knew what you were going to get. You’re going to see a team that’s hugely competitive, aggressive, solid and consistent.
‘This year it has been slightly different. We have been inconsistent. We’ve gone from game to game. I’m not saying you don’t know what you’ll get, you’re seeing players giving 100 per cent, but we’ve just not been the same, we haven’t been able to maintain our rhythm in the games.
‘Even against Chelsea we were inconsistent within that game – some really good bits, some not so good bits. That’s what we’re searching for, that identity that you can rely on.’
Howe’s team were beaten by Manchester City thanks to two deflected Bernardo Silva goals
The defeat leaves Newcastle without silverware and with an uphill battle to get into Europe
After Saturday’s defeat, Newcastle legend Alan Shearer told the BBC that he thinks Howe has ‘credit in the bank’ at the club, and will remain in charge despite their underwhelming campaign in comparison to last year’s heroics.
After the international break, the Magpies have back-to-back home games against West Ham and Everton.
