Newcastle players were making the “same mistakes” in their 3-1 loss to Everton in pre-season on Wednesday, says former Magpies defender Steve Howey.
The Premier League returns next week and Howey believes Matthias Jaissle’s side need the time to work on the same issues from last season.
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“I was just a little bit disappointed at half-time because it’s familiar players – the players that will be making the starting line-up against Liverpool – that are making the same mistakes again,” Howey told BBC Radio Newcastle after the match.
“And I’m talking missing chances, even though they might be half-chances and some of them were but some of them were more than half-chances.
“When you’ve got the ball getting drilled into you, make it stick, but it’s bouncing off players, and I’m just thinking we used to see that last season. And I know there’s been the World Cup, and you have still got time to work on these things – it’s not going to improve straight away, it’s going to take time. But it was just annoying because it is the same players making the same mistakes again.
“They’ll have a little bit of a breather as such, they’ll stretch off and do whatever they have to do, but then go again at the weekend with the two games before getting really ready for the start of the season. Only they’ll know individually and collectively if they’re ready, but whether they’re ready or not, it’s coming.”
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