Eddie Howe praised several players on Wednesday night after Newcastle United progressed to the Carabao Cup semifinals with Lewis Miley’s late goal at St James’ Park.
The victory marked another significant cup night under Eddie Howe, who has now guided Newcastle into the final four of the competition for the third time in four seasons.
Goals from teenager Lewis Miley and full debutant Yoane Wissa sealed the victory, with the latter a welcome inclusion given Howe has used just 17 players in the Premier League.
Speaking after the match, Howe was keen to praise Miley’s composure in an unfamiliar role. He also touched on the mentality he believes continues to drive Newcastle’s record in the Carabao Cup.
Howe was also pleased with the contribution of Yoane Wissa, who opened the scoring on his return to the starting XI.
Howe praises Wissa
“Really positive night in lots of ways,” Howe told Sky Sports. “He took his goal really well and he’ll only get better for the minutes. I thought Alex Murphy coming on did well too, so I’m delighted for him and delighted for all the players.”
The Newcastle head coach reserved special praise for Lewis Miley, who impressed despite being deployed out of position.
“Brilliant performance from a talented young player,” Howe said. “He hasn’t played right-back a lot and had to take on a lot of information this morning, so he did really well.”
Howe added that Miley’s rapid development reflects his mindset as much as his ability.
Image: Anthony Foster, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY 2.0
Special praise for Miley
“He’s here on merit,” Howe continued. “He believes that he’s more than good enough to play at this level. Not just play, but excel, and he’s taking his game to another level. I think we’re seeing that now.”
Asked about that consistency, Howe was quick to credit his squad rather than any tactical edge.
“I think the players are always the key ones,” he said. “We’ve got some really good professionals. We’ve had to navigate some very tough opening rounds in previous years, and those early games really set the tone for the competition.”
He added: “As you get further on, the games are always on a knife-edge. They’re very difficult to win, but I have to credit the players’ mentality. I think that’s the key.”
Newcastle now face Manchester City in a two-legged semi-final, a format Howe remains a fan of.
“I love the two-legged semi-finals,” he said. “I think that’s what makes the Carabao Cup slightly unique. Home and away ties add something different. It’s going to be a really tough tie, and everyone wants a trophy.”
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