Eddie Howe's 'very careful' address to 'emotional' Newcastle dressing room as changes on cards

Newcastle United players and support staff have all noticed how Eddie Howe does not tend to get too high after a win or too low after a defeat and that was certainly the case following Sunday's 5-1 hammering at Spurs. As disappointed as Howe was, the Newcastle head coach hoped the mauling could yet be looked back on as a turning point of sorts in 'bringing us back down to the basics that got us success'.

Defensive solidity, after all, had been the cornerstone of Newcastle's recent nine-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, when the black-and-whites struck a delicate balance between trying to win games and keeping the opposition at bay. Indeed, it had been a long time since a match had previously got away from Howe's side after countless hours were spent on the training pitches working on game management and being more streetwise.

Howe was, therefore, keen to try and keep a sense of perspective following a timely wake-up call on Sunday evening. Newcastle remain nine points clear of danger - a position even Howe did not expect to be in at this stage - and it is easy to forget that the black-and-whites were languishing in 19th place in mid-January.

Perhaps, unsurprisingly, then, Howe did not feel the need 'go hard or negative in any direction' in the dressing room after the Spurs game as the 44-year-old instead called on his side to respond when Newcastle return to St James' Park to face high-flying Wolves on Friday night.

"I think you've got to be very careful because everyone's very emotional and things can be said that maybe aren't helpful," he told reporters after the game.

"I spoke. I think that's the way it should be. I'll always encourage the players if they want to speak to each other. The minute I leave the