“Really disappointed not to win” — the context
Eddie Howe’s frustration after Newcastle United’s 2–2 draw at Bayer Leverkusen was understandable. The Magpies had stormed back from an early own goal to lead 2–1 thanks to a composed penalty from Anthony Gordon and a powerful header from substitute Lewis Miley. But in the 88th minute, Alejandro Grimaldo struck to deny them victory — wrecking what had looked like a hard-earned win. (Reuters)
That late concession has become a recurring nightmare for Howe’s side. Marvelous recovery, plenty of chances — and yet, heartbreak at the death. No wonder the manager was “really disappointed not to win.” (thetimes.com)
What we know — and what’s not
- The match itself fell apart for Newcastle in the final moments. After taking the lead, their defence slipped. The equalizer came from a corner-derived situation in which marking was poor. (bdnews24.com)
- Across the season, this isn’t an isolated lapse — the club has now twice in recent weeks conceded late, throwing away what looked like certain points. Howe himself admitted that defending set pieces remains a critical problem. (thetimes.com)
- Immediately after the match, there were reports that “two Newcastle United players picked up suspensions” on Wednesday night. (onefootball.com)
- However — and crucially — none of the major sport-news outlets reporting the 2–2 draw mention Howe formally suspending any players “immediately” after the game. Match reports, post-match quotes and official sources all focus on defensive frailty, tactical regrets, and frustration — not disciplinary action by the manager. (ESPN.com)
Why the claim of “Howe suspending two players” may be inaccurate or unsubstantiated
- No credible reporting — None of the major sources (Reuters, The Guardian, SportsMole, The Independent) refer to a suspension by Eddie Howe. Their focus remains on the late equaliser, defensive mistakes, and psychological fragility. (ESPN.com)
- Likely confusion with booking-based discipline risk — One article mentioned two players from Newcastle were “facing a potential Champions League ban due to yellow-card accumulation,” but that is not the same as being suspended immediately. (Shields Gazette)
- Fan commentary may have exaggerated — On forums like Reddit, some fans vented anger, calling Howe over-reactive and even saying things like “Eddie will pull his hair out trying to sort this issue.” (Reddit) But that is expression of frustration, not credible evidence of any official suspension.
A fair headline
Labeling the post-match moment as “Howe suspends two players immediately” is almost certainly misleading. A more accurate summary would be:
“Eddie Howe vents frustration after Newcastle concede late equaliser; fans vent anger — but no confirmed suspensions.”
If you like, I can dig through Portuguese/German/less mainstream sources to check all local reports (in case there was some private squad decision)** and see if any report truly confirms suspensions after the Leverkusen draw.
