Newcastle United players enjoyed a positive week in Dubai with Eddie Howe's desire to be left alone to get on with training respected. United made it clear that this would be a low key training camp and did not hold any Press conferences or put players up for interview throughout their stay in the Middle East.
One of Howe's key wishes was for the group to get some "closure" on the defeats at Chelsea and Everton. The head coach wasn't satisfied with the second half at Goodison Park with no real clear-cut chances created.
And while this could have been costly on the night, the fact that it was three games in seven days inevitably contributed to that lack of sharpness. Therefore Howe has not overplayed the situation behind the scenes.
