Newcastle's Derby Defeat: Howe Takes Responsibility for 'Painful' Loss

Newcastle United's manager, Eddie Howe, has taken full responsibility for his team's defeat to Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby, describing the loss as 'very painful' for the supporters. Despite taking an early lead through Anthony Gordon, the Magpies were unable to hold on, with Brian Brobbey scoring a 90th-minute winner for the Black Cats. The defeat has left Newcastle 12th in the Premier League table, seven points behind fifth-placed Liverpool. Club legend Alan Shearer was scathing in his assessment of the team's second-half performance, calling it 'pathetic, weak, lazy and limp.' Howe acknowledged that his team's performance was not good enough and that he was to blame for the result. 'I'm fully committed to the job, but I'm disappointed in my delivery today and over the last week,' he said. 'I absorb that blame myself and I don't look to deflect it anywhere.' The manager also admitted that the absence of key midfielders, including Bruno Guimaraes, Lewis Miley, and Sandro Tonali, had negatively impacted the team's balance and control. Newcastle's defeat was their 51st game of the season, and while Howe refused to use fatigue as an excuse, he acknowledged that his team had struggled to maintain their intensity and had become 'passive and reactive.'