Eddie Howe says his decision to take Anthony Gordon off at half-time was tactical but admitted he was pleased with the player's first-half display. Gordon was given his first St James' Park start since joining the Magpies in January but was the man to make way for Callum Wilson at half-time as Howe mixed things up at 1-0 down.
Gordon enjoyed arguably Newcastle's two best chances of the first half, blasting one into the side netting early on before hitting the post after beating Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy with a low effort. However, his first home start ended after only 45 minutes as Alexander Isak was moved out to the left before Newcastle's second-half comeback.
"I wanted to introduce Callum so I had to bring someone off. It really was a process of that decision," Howe said when asked about Gordon's withdrawal. "I thought Anthony played well in the first half.
READ MORE: Newcastle United vs Southampton highlights
"I thought our best moments came through him. It wasn't a slight on what he had given the team, I needed to do something to stimulate the group and give Southampton a different problem. I was delighted with the 45 minutes that he had."
Newcastle have been quick out of the traps at home of late but struggled to break down Southampton's resilient defence in the first half. The second period was a different story as Howe's men easily piled more misery on the Premier League's bottom side.
“I think, quite rightly, it (the atmosphere) was flat, and I always say that it was our performance that made it that way," Howe said at full-time. "We weren’t great with the ball and looked a bit tired, a little bit off that high per cent you need at this level, and I thought, off the ball, we looked the same.
“We were flat, and that then meant the game and the crowd was flat, and that’s all our own doing. They tried to galvanise us at certain periods in that first half, but we couldn’t really get going.
“I did have a feeling the second half would be different, attacking the Gallowgate End and with the scoreline as it was. We changed a couple of things tactically at half-time, and it was a much better performance, and the crowd then got in the game and certainly helped us over the line.”
