NEWCASTLE: Kieran Trippier believes Newcastle United should not be scared of talking about Champions League qualification, even if head coach Eddie Howe refrains from any top four talk.
The Magpies went six points clear of Tottenham Hotspur with an emphatic 6-1 win over their closest top four, Premier League rivals.
And while Howe refused to be drawn on his hopes for next season, preferring to focus solely on the next challenge — a trip to relegation-threatened Everton on Thursday night — skipper Trippier has done that for him.
“We let the supporters down last week and it was about responding well. I thought we did that,” the England right-back said in reference to the 3-0 loss at Aston Villa last time out.
“We got some goals early in the game. We showed throughout the season we want to be on the front foot.
“I thought Alex Isak was unbelievable. It’s healthy competition with Callum Wilson. Nobody complains when they don’t play.
“We shouldn’t be scared to say we want to play Champions League football. The games are running out. This stadium would be bouncing with Champions League football.
“I played for Eddie Howe before so I knew what he demanded in training and off the pitch. The players here before him, (Miguel) Almiron, Joelinton, (Jacob) Murphy, have done unbelievable. That comes down to the gaffer’s coaching. He’s making them believe how good they are.”
Howe was much more guarded when it came to talking about the top four.
Post-match, he said: “It’s not for me to say, I saw a very good team playing today, two actually. But there’s a lot of games to go and a lot of points to play for.”
In reference to the game, Howe added: “It’s not often you have a start like that in a game, especially one of such importance.
“Jacob Murphy has grown into the team, he’s got a lot of qualities, he can play various positions and he took his goals very well today.
“I’m delighted with the whole group, a real team effort.”
While it was all smiles in the Newcastle United dressing room, it was anything but across the tunnel at St. James’ Park.
Cristian Stellini, the former Antonio Conte assistant thrust into the top job after his countryman’s sacking by owner Daniel Levy, was at a loss to understand how his Spurs side could perform so below par on Tyneside.
He said: “It went so badly because we were not prepared enough to play an important match. We have a good squad but today no one showed how good we are. It was my responsibility to decide how we play and we decided to do it differently because of the injuries. It is my responsibility, I took it and it was wrong.
“I have to take responsibility because once we changed system we played better, scored and showed fight. It’s very difficult to understand why the first 25 minutes were so bad.”
Asked why he decided to change to a back four: “To give energy to the players because we spoke in the week it would be possible to change system, but obviously we didn’t show this.
“We were not prepared to play this type of tough game. To suffer, control the space, win duels, we were not well prepared. We had a good mood before the game but if you do not show this during the game … The change showed a different idea.”
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