Kurt Zouma explained that West Ham players were “upset” after watching their 3-1 lead evaporate in the final 13 minutes at St James’ Park.
The Europa Conference League winners from last season had their fans on Cloud 9 up in Level 7 as they chanted about winning the tournament almost 12 months ago. However, by the end it was the Newcastle fans who were celebrating wildly at the final whistle as they grabbed a much-needed victory to keep their own Euro hopes on track.
After the game Zouma said: “Everyone was upset after the game, especially with the way things changed from being 3-1 up. We were playing really well, but then we stopped. They put us under a lot of pressure and we couldn’t cope with it, and in the end they managed to get the goals that got them the win.
“Credit to them. They had nothing to lose and went for it when they were 3-1 down, and I think their substitutes made a difference. When they made it 3-2 we knew it was going to be hard with their fans, but we just didn’t do enough and it’s incredibly frustrating. It was a bad day for us.”
Eddie Howe wants current Newcastle stars to write their own history
Not for the first time, Eddie Howe’s team were compared with the great Entertainers side from the Kevin Keegan era. And that might end up being an easy tag for pundits running the rule over the Magpies this weekend.
But when asked about the prospect of emulating Keegan’s team, Eddie Howe said: “I always say we’re here to attack and my management philosophy has always been that first – I say first, that’s probably not right, but I’ve always wanted to produce a team that is proactive rather than reactive.
“I want to the type of football that I enjoy watching. With that, you have to accept that you will be maybe more open than a team that sets up a totally different way, that’s a bit more pragmatic, but I believe that’s the best chance for us to have long-term success here.
“I’ve got no problem with entertaining. I’d prefer another word because that’s been done and rightly Kevin’s team was nicknamed The Entertainers. I think we would give them that tag and remember that team fondly. But we want to win games and trophies playing this way. I think we can. Of course, th goals we are conceding are a concern for us.”
