Eddie Howe apologised to Newcastle’s fans for an attacking performance that left his captain Bruno Guimaraes ‘so embarrassed’ after defeat by Sunderland in the Wear-Tyne derby.
Nick Woltemade headed the game’s only goal when putting through his own net less than a minute into the second half, and the hosts held on with relative ease. The visitors recorded just two shots on target.
‘That will sting for a long time,’ said Howe, who took off wingers Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga before the hour. ‘We know our performance was off what we needed to to be. Not defensively, we defended well. It was a game of few chances. Unfortunately, the one big moment goes against us.
‘But we weren’t good enough to open them up. I am disappointed for the supporters and sorry for our performance, for a lack of goalmouth action and clinical attacking. It certainly wasn’t a lack of effort. But the first 60 minutes I don’t think we posed a threat at all. It wasn’t the finest day for any of our front players. The openings were there, with a better decision or pass. But the quality was not there in that phase of the game.’
Eddie Howe has apologised to Newcastle’s fans after his side’s derby-day defeat
A Nick Woltemade own goal sealed a 1-0 victory for Sunderland at a jubilant Stadium of Light
Bruno Guimaraes admitted he was ‘angry, embarrassed and frustrated’ post-match
Guimaraes said: ‘I’m very angry. I’m so embarrassed. I’m so frustrated. There was no crossing, no passing and no shooting. No nothing. It was a mess, in my opinion. We know we have a better team than them (Sunderland) but we didn’t play like the better team. The consistency isn’t there, the mentality isn’t there. We didn’t compete. The fans expect and deserve better.
‘We accepted the way they play with the long balls. You need to compete in a derby and we didn’t. We only have one way we can go from here, and that’s winning in a few days (against Fulham in the Carabao Cup quarter-final).’