With Newcastle’s poor record on the road, Bournemouth could well continue their fine home form were they have picked up four points in their previous three home games.
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It was just the opposite for Bournemouth stopper Federici, who had little to do but to reflect on his costly mistake and watch his team-mates throw everything forward in search of the equaliser, but they were constantly thwarted by in-form Elliot, who singlehandedly kept Newcastle in front. He was injured but he said to the manager, “I am ready to play”.
“I said to the manager, if you want me to play I will play, but just so long as I’m not going to hinder the team”.
“Slowly, like a big ship, we’re trying to turn that around and results will help that”.
Newcastle head coach McClaren will go head-to-head with his Bournemouth counterpart at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday hugely impressed by what the 37-year-old has already achieved in his managerial career.
Bournemouth sit just one place and one point ahead of the Magpies, who are 18th and still smarting from their recent defeat to north-east rivals Sunderland.
“And when we did that, we got through it and our goalkeeper was outstanding”.
“Newcastle have a few very good individual players who are capable of performing very well when they are confident, and they can be a tough game for anyone in the division, so we certainly won’t underestimate them”. Thauvin clearly has talent, but as things stand, the Magpies haven’t been able to work out how to harness it.
A bemused Howe said: “Although we lost it was a pleasing performance from start to finish”.
The hosts, on the other hand, built a string of promising attacks through midfield, with Elliot called upon as early as the fourth minute to beat away a venomous angled shot from the lively Josh King.
King then appeared to be impeded by Fabricio Coloccini in the area but referee Lee Mason believed the challenge was fair.
King found his nemesis in Elliot with the goalkeeper turning his header past the post in the 35th before tipping Dan Gosling’s header onto the post and away. They’ve not managed to win a single game in the last 5 fixtures, a wretched run that includes 4 losses and a draw, so a win at home against an equally struggling Newcastle United can do a world of good for Eddie Howe and co.
Newcastle are one of the best supported sides in the Premier League, at home they had the third highest average attendance last season.
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“He plays the game in the right way, the right style, the right temperament, the right emotional control”.
