Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was asked how prepared he feels before the Premier League starting this weekend in the aftermath of a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid: “Physically the players are very good but mentally is a different question. There has been challenges this summer that we haven’t faced before and the general feeling in the group has been down, especially early in pre-season.
“Alex [Isak] is such a popular player in the dressing room and any disruption around a player of that calibre is going to affect the group.
“I think they have responded really well to it but it is still there in the background. It is an unwelcomed disruption. We have to get used to it and if anything it has to make us stronger.”
On what needs to be done before the season kicks off this weekend: “We need some more work in our sharpness. We are physically fit, but in the movements, one-v-one duels and the end actions haven’t really been there [against Atletico Madrid].
“Our squad depth at the moment, we are stretched in midfield with Joe Willock’s injury. With Champions League football the bodies we need and squad we are going to need, the depth isn’t quite there at the moment.”
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