Eddie Howe responds to Jurgen Klopp’s Newcastle United barb and confirms Lewis Hall loan

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has responded to Jurgen Klopp’s cheeky barb over Newcastle United’s technical area conduct while he all but confirmed Lewis Hall’s imminent arrival on loan from Chelsea.

Klopp’s Comments

One of several new rules implemented by the Premier League this season restricts teams to only having one member of staff inside the technical area at a time. For most clubs that is not a problem, but Howe and his assistant Jason Tindall have always been very active and vocal on the touchline – with the latter occasionally clashing with opposing managers.

Liverpool boss Klopp has certainly taken notice of it, randomly bringing up the Magpies when asked about the new rule: ‘It’s like that in the Champions League anyway. I think it’s only a problem for one team: Newcastle. Sorry!’

Howe’s Response

It did not seem to affect table-toppers Newcastle when they hammered Aston Villa 5-1 last weekend, with Howe and Tindall taking turns in the technical area, but the Toon boss does feel his side are affected by the rule more than most.

Asked if he saw Klopp’s comments, and what he made of them, Howe replied: ‘I think I heard about them through various sources. I think the rules do impact us slightly more than other teams, just because of how we’ve worked historically. As I’ve said, this hasn’t been a new thing for me and Jason, this has been for as long as I’ve been in management this is how we’ve worked. So it’s not something that we’ve just done.’

He added: ‘I didn’t find it too bad last week, I have to say. As I said pre-game, we dovetailed in and out of the area, it worked, we talked. I wouldn’t have noticed necessarily a big change from previously. The design from us isn’t to annoy people, it’s just to win.’

Lewis Hall’s Arrival

Chelsea teenager Lewis Hall, meanwhile, is set to become Newcastle’s fourth major signing of the summer, though Howe has confirmed that the deal will be a loan – with an obligation to buy next year for around £28million – due to Financial Fair Play restrictions.

Asked for an update on Newcastle’s pursuit of Hall, Howe said: ‘Let’s wait and see what happens today. He’s a player that I like, very versatile, really good potential.’ Probed on whether it would be a loan rather than a transfer, Howe replied: ‘Yes. I don’t want to give you a one-word answer! But yes I think it is, yeah.’ He added: ‘I think if we were able to bring a player in that would be our transfer business concluded, unless there were injuries within our own players.’

Conclusion

Eddie Howe has responded to Jurgen Klopp’s cheeky barb over Newcastle United’s technical area conduct while he all but confirmed Lewis Hall’s imminent arrival on loan from Chelsea. Howe has admitted that the new rule affects Newcastle more than other teams due to their style of play and management. Hall is set to become Newcastle’s fourth major signing of the summer and will likely be their final addition of the summer.

For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.