Howe learning lessons after explaining why Newcastle drubbing by Tottenham might be ‘a good thing’

Eddie Howe has reminded his Newcastle United players they are in a relegation battle still after their defeat to Tottenham Hotspur – which he may yet come to see as a good thing.

Newcastle have been climbing away from the drop zone in the past few weeks under Howe. With the help of their January signings, they seem to be clear of danger. But a 5-1 defeat to Tottenham, despite taking the lead and being level at half-time, has brought them back down to earth.

There is still a nine-point cushion between Newcastle and 18th-placed Watford. With eight games to go, though, Howe is aware they are not out of trouble yet.

The manager spotted some signs that they were the architects of their own downfall against Tottenham, having previously put themselves in a decent position.

Howe told Sky Sports: “We contributed to that [score]. We were 1-0 up and executing a good plan – we were controlling them as best we could.

“We did the first part of the game well. The second goal is the key thing.

“It’s what we didn’t need to do. We chased the game in a way you can’t against this type of team. We took risks and didn’t execute it well enough.

“Against these teams you have to get every aspect of your game right. In the second half we didn’t.

“They have players who can hurt you. Some of their football will be the highest level. It’s something we’ll have to learn from.”

That said, Howe does not think his squad will lose too much confidence from the defeat. On the contrary, he actually believes it could benefit them.

He added: “I don’t think [it will damage] morale. In hindsight we might look back on this as a good thing. It might realign our thoughts and get us back to the basics.

“We’re still in a huge fight to stay in the division. That’s six