Howe admits Covid dilemma is ‘on a knife edge’ as Newcastle prepare for City clash
Eddie Howe says the Premier League’s dilemma over whether to postpone matches due to Covid-19 cases is ‘on a knife edge’.
Newcastle are currently preparing to face league leaders Man City on Sunday, following their 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Thursday night. The clash at Anfield went ahead despite three positive tests in the Liverpool camp – Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones.
There is a chance Newcastle’s game against City could be written off as the league faces calls to postpone all of this weekend’s fixtures.
Four of Saturday’s six matches will not go ahead as things stand, as well as one of Sunday’s four games.
On the issue, Howe told reporters: “I don’t think we want half the games played and half not played.
“The league really loses something if it becomes disjointed in terms of games played.
“When you start losing players to Covid then the worry is the competition becomes slightly unfair and I don’t think anyone wants to see that.
“A decision needs to be made to ensure integrity is maintained in the competition. I think it is on a knife edge.
“People want to see a fair league and not disparity in games and players missing.
“I’m desperate to continue the programme myself but the welfare of the players and supporters has to come first.”
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Howe questions Mike Dean decision
Meanwhile, Howe reckons Newcastle were treated unfairly in the defeat to Liverpool.
The Magpies went ahead through Jonjo Shelvey in the seventh minute. Diogo Jota pulled Liverpool level, although his goal came while Isaac Hayden was on the ground with an apparent head injury.
Referee Mike Dean did not stop the game in time and Jota’s 10th goal of the season stood.
“We didn’t do everything right, that’s clear. But we certainly didn’t have the luck either,” Howe said (via Liverpool Echo).
“The turning point of the game is an obvious one. I can’t understand how Mike hasn’t stopped the game. Isaac clearly holds his head immediately, laying in our six-yard box and that leads to the goal.
“It was clear to me that the game had to be stopped and for me that is a key moment in the match. I couldn’t believe what I had seen as I saw Isaac myself holding his head immediately- it wasn’t as though it changed.
“The priority always has to be the safety of the player. We talk a lot at the minute about head injuries, and I thought it was a wrong decision.”
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