Eddie wise to take blame

EDDIE HOWE fired a gentle warning on Friday when he told us: “The wisest man is the one who doesn’t have to make any decisions.”

And he’s right. The only way to constructively comment and analyse anything or anyone is to put yourself in the shoes of the decision makers to understand their reasoning and circumstances.

It remains a bumpy season for Newcastle and Howe. More big games, less work on the training pitch, a horrendous injury list and a star signing banned for the season.

Enough reasons for Howe to absolve himself of blame and use excuses. But he hasn’t.

“I’m not getting my violin out,” he says. But the Toon boss was slightly prickly on Friday ahead of a big week with a huge Carabao Cup game at Chelsea on Tuesday.

Because of the thoroughness of the preparation he does with his coaching team, losing – and being questioned about it – hurts.

A run of five defeats in eight games before the clash with Fulham has been painful.

After a near two-year unbroken run of positivity and rise, Newcastle have been in their most difficult situation results-wise.

That has jeopardised a challenge for fourth place and a return to the Champions League next season.

I reckon a top-seven finish would be par for the course this term.

Sixth would be very decent and anything above, brilliant.

It is all to play for, with two cups still in play, and a likely race with Aston Villa, Tottenham and Man United for fourth spot.

Howe has done what a leader has to do. Kept the energy positive and his players looking ahead to new challenges amid the disappointments.

But it’s also fair to offer what Howe referred to as “external negativity” or what I’d call fair, hopefully rational, debate during a losing spell.

“There are some tactical brains in here,” Howe joked on Friday, scanning reporters.

So I’ll use a wise man quote from Socrates, the Greek philosopher: “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is I know nothing.”