Eddie Howe has dismissed transfer speculation surrounding Newcastle United's talisman Allan Saint-Maximin. Elsewhere, the Magpies head coach has warned his players they are all playing for their futures.
Here are your Newcastle United headlines for April 7:
ASM stance
Newcastle United star Allan Saint-Maximin is not for sale this summer - according to defiant head coach Eddie Howe. United fans woke up to weekend headlines that the French ace was for sale at bids starting at £50million as part of a summer reshuffle on Tyneside.
But Howe insists the winger has a "long-term" future at St James' Park. The Chronicle Live player of the year in 2020 and 2021 has been linked with Friday night's opponents Wolves as well as Aston Villa.
Howe's transfer warning
Eddie Howe has warned his players that they are playing for their futures after the squad witnessed a different side to the Newcastle United head coach in the aftermath of Sunday's mauling at Spurs. It is easy to forget that Newcastle actually took the lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, after a steady enough start in the capital, but Ben Davies equalised for Spurs just a few minutes after Fabian Schar's opener.
Although it was a bad time to concede, right before half-time, no one could have foreseen what happened in the second half. Even in recent defeats at Chelsea and Everton, Newcastle were solid and disciplined off the ball, but the game quickly got away from the Magpies on Sunday as the visitors conceded four goals in the space of just 35 minutes after the break.
While these same players were part of the side who went nine games unbeaten in the Premier League not so long ago, the 5-1 defeat was a reminder that Newcastle are not only still in a relegation battle but, also, that Howe's side have a lot of work to do to one day close the gap on sides like Spurs.
Howe brought in five new players last January - Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Matt Targett - and the Newcastle head coach will make further signings in the summer. Although no first-team player has left the club on a permanent basis under Howe just yet, that will certainly change in the coming months.
Barton interview
It is a little over a decade since Warren Barton's offer to help his beloved Newcastle United was met with an 'emphatic no'. The ex-captain had just completed his UEFA Pro Licence in 2008, and suggested scouting on behalf of the Magpies in the USA having made the move stateside.
Barton's initial conversation with then-director of football Dennis Wise was met with a firm refusal, and a second approach received the same response. It was arguably among the first of many decisions which saw the Mike Ashley regime slowly ostracise itself from club legends and the entire fanbase.
But Tyneside is a much happier place now, and Barton is one of several cult heroes who has already received an invitation to St James' Park on behalf of the new owners. The former full-back was in attendance for Newcastle's shock FA Cup defeat to Cambridge United in January, and met briefly with part-owners Mehrdad Ghodoussi and Amanda Staveley following the full-time whistle.
It is six months to the day since the protracted takeover saga reached a remarkably quickfire resolution, and the feel-good factor of the 'Entertainers' and Sir Bobby Robson eras are back. There is a long road ahead, but fans' favourite Barton could not be fulsome in his praise of the new owners' almost immediate impact.
Allardyce theory dismissed
Eddie Howe has insisted Newcastle United players do not have sights set on the beach for their summer holidays - despite a strong-worded interview from ex-manager Sam Allardyce.
Big Sam was one of a number of pundits who steamed in on Newcastle after they were beaten 5-1 at Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend. But Howe says his players care too much about their jobs to switch off. Newcastle have 31 points in the bag, three more than was needed to stay up last season, and Allardyce insisted Toon stars think they're safe.
Tottenham criticism
Eddie Howe has told his players that they must accept criticism after the 5-1 hammering at Spurs last Sunday. For the first time during Howe's stint as boss, the negative analysis hit high levels despite the fact Newcastle were up against a world class frontline in the capital.
Indeed, David Ginola's post-game rant went viral as he accused players of not being "professional" while Ian Wright dissected the performance and was critical of skipper Jamaal Lascelles on Match of the Day 2. Howe did not go into defensive mode in his press conference and instead challenged the players to get it right against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Injury latest
Eddie Howe says that Miguel Almiron has been passed fit for Newcastle United's clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Paraguay star missed the 5-1 defeat at Spurs and comes back into contention for the home encounter with Wolves. Howe also said he will make a late call on Joe Willock.
Lampard's verdict
Frank Lampard did not namecheck Newcastle United as one of Everton's relegation rivals following the Toffees' crushing last-gasp defeat at Burnley. Maxwel Cornet's dramatic late strike sealed a 3-2 victory for the Clarets at Turf Moor on Wednesday night, and cut the Magpies' cushion to the relegation zone to seven points.
Newcastle have suffered three straight defeats including a thrashing in their last outing at Tottenham on Sunday. However, Eddie Howe's side had previously enjoyed a nine-match unbeaten Premier League run, and will be confident of putting more points on the board with a run of three consecutive home matches.
In contrast, Everton now sit just one point above the bottom three, and the Toffees' victory over Newcastle is their only success in their last seven outings. Lampard's side have picked up results at Goodison Park, but now face a daunting schedule with Manchester United, Leicester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all to come.
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