Eddie Howe has responded to Jurgen Klopp's demand to get Newcastle United's clash with Liverpool changed. The fixture is currently slated for a 12.30pm kick off at St James' Park in a game that BT Sports will beam out to a nationwide audience. But it comes just three days after the Reds' UEFA Champions League semi-final against Villarreal.
Howe said he felt sorry for Klopp but can only prepare his team for the schedule put in front of him. And on the back of a three away games in a week recently at Southampton, Chelsea and Everton, he knows how tough life in the Premier League can be.
He said: "It’s a very difficult situation. They’ve been very successful this year and ended up playing a lot of games, so I understand it from their viewpoint.
"I’d probably have the same opinion if I was them. For us, we’ve been in their position many times over the years when you look at it and think ‘how’s this game been moved to this time or day’.
"We have very little say in the fixtures and when they come and how they sit. You just have to react and deal with it. I have every sympathy with Liverpool but they’re winning lots of games and in lots of competitions so naturally, it’s going to be that way."
When asked if it would be unfair on Newcastle if they were asked to go along with Klopp's demands. Howe said: "That’s not for me to say. We get told when to play and we turn up and do our best.
"It’s not up to us to decide when games are played. We ended up playing four away games in very quick succession recently which was far from ideal for us but we had to bite the bullet and get on with it. We don’t decide the fixtures but I do have every sympathy with them."
Klopp had said: "If you want to cause us problems you send us to 12:30 at Newcastle. I don’t understand it. I can understand that people want to see a football match between Liverpool and Newcastle but I don’t see why any team should have an advantage or a disadvantage.
"The league and the broadcaster really have to try at least to help. We will see. I haven’t heard anything yet. Nobody from BT contacted me yet. But I’d say common sense would tell you that it’s probably the right thing to do to move the game slightly."
