Eddie Howe knows that his Newcastle United team have to be more clinical when they face Bournemouth this weekend, a rallying cry that the Magpies boss has made on several occasions this season.
Callum Wilson's third-minute strike against West Ham was cancelled out by Lucas Paqueta as the points were shared between the Magpies and their opponents. The attention now turns to Bournemouth this weekend, with Howe returning to the Vitality for the first time since his departure in 2020.
Gary O'Neil's men are without a win since the World Cup break and Newcastle will be looking to pile on the misery for the south coast team. The two sides have already come up against each other twice this season; once in the Carabao Cup, a 1-0 win to set up a quarter-final clash with Leicester and the other during a disappointing 1-1 draw in the Premier League back in September.
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After the top-flight draw vs the Cherries nearly six months ago, Howe fired a warning shot to his squad.
“Disappointing today. Below the levels we set ourselves for the first time this season," he said. "I felt we played in front of them too much. They defended deep and it was our responsibility to deal with that.
“There's a big sense of frustration in terms of the points we have. But the reality is we haven't won the games we should have. A lot of games with clear-cut chances and we weren't clinical enough.”
Since then, Newcastle have rocketed up the table and find themselves in the dizzying heights of the Champions League places. However, a run of one win in their last five games has seen the Magpies' momentum halt somewhat.
And Howe's comments after the 1-1 draw vs West Ham on Saturday painted a very similar picture to the one back in September.
"I don't think we were bad in the first half, but we didn't keep up our momentum," the Newcastle boss said. "I don't think we stamped our authority on the game, they scored a poor goal from our high standards.
"In the second half we wanted to re-establish intensity. We did that for the majority of the half, we had possession and chances, but didn't take that chance."
Howe will not be too concerned about Newcastle's inability to find a killer instinct in their last few games just yet, as he knows how quickly momentum can build.
Newcastle have the chance to get back to winning ways on Saturday as they look to take note of their manager's instructions to stamp their authority on not only the game, but their spot in the top-four. Fine margins now can make all the difference and the end of the season and Howe will be desperate for his side to take their chances.
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