Newcastle United coach Eddie Howe gestures during the UEFA Champions League game against Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Eddie Howe has admitted he blasted his players for playing with a lack of belief in the first half against Bayer Leverkusen.

The Magpies crumbled at the death and conceded an equaliser to drop two points and dent their chances of automatic qualifcation into the last eight of the Champions League. Howe did not hide the fact he laid into some of his players during the interval but was satisifed with the attacking in the second half.

Anthony Gordon confessed after the match: "The manager gave us a kick up the backside and we reacted well."

Howe said: "I was not happy. The way we performed in that first half, not that it was particularly bad. We did not play with belief in both pha

See Full Page