Eddie Howe is not concerned about Newcastle United's recent spate of Premier League draws and insists the Magpies are playing better than they did last season in terms of performances.
The Magpies ended last season with an impressive six victories from the last eight games in the top-flight with only Manchester City and Liverpool beating them in the run-in. This term has started with one win, four draws and a narrow defeat against the Reds.
But Howe feels his team are improving and is prepared to look behind some of the results for now.
Howe said: "I’d say we’ve played a lot better this season than in the spell we had when we were winning games towards the end of last season. I think we’ve been much better this season.
"I think if you look back at those games last season then we were without the ball for huge periods in all of those games, but we were very good defensively, managed to get a goal ahead, and clung on brilliantly well.
"That’s not in every game, but it was in the majority. I’d say our overall performance levels have dramatically improved, but with that comes different challenges because now we’re facing teams that defend a little bit deeper, we’ve got a bit more ball, and now we have to break them down rather than playing on transitions."
And expanding on the club's style of play, speaking before the postponement of the weekend's game against West Ham, Howe added: "Last season, we were playing on counter-attacks a lot at certain times during that good run. I think your strength then becomes a different thing, and you have to find answers to those problems.
"I thought we found the answers (against Crystal Palace). "We created chances and had the moments – we just didn’t take them. That’s why I think there are positive signs, because it wasn’t as though we were lacking in creativity or ability to open them up. I thought that was there."
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