Eddie Howe is remaining calm ahead of Newcastle United's clash at Everton despite Jamie Carragher's claim on the magnitude of the contest for the Toffees. Elsewhere, the Magpies head coach has provided an update on Callum Wilson's return from long-term injury.
Here are your Newcastle United headlines for March 17.
Howe on Carragher's Everton claim
Everton are a club in crisis and Newcastle United's visit to Goodison Park has already been talked up by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher as important as their final day clash against Coventry City in 1998. That was quite the statement from the former England defender given we're only in March.
But in a week in which videos of unrest emerged from the Gwladys Street End after their grim 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers, there is a desperate feel to this game for the home side. Four consecutive defeats in the Premier League have plunged Everton to fourth bottom in the table and only goal difference is keeping them out of the bottom three.
Going back to that nail-biting game in 1998 against Coventry, a 1-1 draw kept Everton up and sent Bolton down and with an awkward run-in for the Toffees, which includes Liverpool, Man United, Arsenal, West Ham and Leicester, you can see Carragher's logic when he talks about the magnitude of Thursday night's game.
Wilson return latest
Eddie Howe has admitted that it was 'great' to see Callum Wilson back on the grass for the first time since he suffered a calf injury - even if the Newcastle United number nine is still in the 'early stages' of being able to run again.
Wilson has missed Newcastle's last 10 games in all competitions after picking up the injury in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United back in December. It was originally thought that Wilson would be out for two months, but the striker's recovery has taken longer than expected and Howe admitted last month that the 30-year-old could even be out until the 'final games' of the season.
Wilson has since received specialist treatment in Dubai and London and has returned to the training ground to start the next phase of his rehab. Wilson was pictured back in the gym with head of rehabilitation Sean Beech on Tuesday morning and also made it out to the training pitches for some one to one work.
Wilson is confident that there will be a 'good chunk' of games left by the time he is fit and firing again and Howe would certainly love to be able to call upon his top scorer before the season is out.
Murphy on 'new test'
Jacob Murphy believes a resurgent Newcastle United face a 'new test' after losing their nine-match unbeaten run in controversial circumstances. The Magpies put in a valiant display against Chelsea on Sunday, but were on the wrong end of two VAR decisions as a late Kai Havertz strike sealed a 1-0 victory for the hosts.
It was the first Premier League defeat of 2022 for Eddie Howe's side, who have pulled nine points clear of the relegation zone. Newcastle travel to relegation rivals Everton on Thursday night, hoping to bounce back immediately and secure a top-flight double over Frank Lampard's side.
Howe on Anderson
Newcastle United are understood to have a queue of clubs eager to take Elliot Anderson on loan next season following his successful loan spell at Bristol Rovers. Not that his work with the Pirates is finished under Joey Barton with Rovers in play-off contention this term.
Barton may even get first refusal on Anderson again next season, if Rovers won promotion to League One, given the superb job he has done with the 19-year-old Whitley Bay youngster. Anderson has scored twice in the last two games and has hit a dozen goals during his stint in Bristol so far.
Bridges' claim
Michael Bridges has claimed that Newcastle United will be sniffing around Everton’s squad in the summer if the Toffees are relegated this season Frank Lampard has been unable to have the desired effect since replacing Rafa Benitez at Goodison Park and could be the first manager to take them down from the Premier League.
They sit outside the bottom three on just goal difference and will be desperate for a result against the Magpies to climb away from the drop zone. A win for Eddie Howe’s side on Merseyside would only worsen the mood at Everton and the Newcastle boss might put a word in with a few opposing players at full time if his players pick up all three points.
Bridges thinks there could be a few Toffees players on the radar at St James’ Park should they go down at the end of the season.
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