EDDIE HOWE has defended his tactics in Newcastle United’s 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace, and claimed failings in his players’ ‘mental attitude’ meant it did not matter how they were set up at Selhurst Park.

For the vast majority of Howe’s time as Magpies head coach, he has been firmly wedded to a 4-3-3 formation and has been seemingly reluctant to change tack even when his squad has been extremely stretched.

However, he altered formation for this month’s home game with Tottenham, with the switch to a 3-4-3 system paying dividends as his side ran out emphatic 4-0 winners over Spurs.

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With things having gone so well in the previous game, Howe opted to stick with the same formation for Newcastle’s meeting with a Palace side that also play with three centre-halves.

However, the Magpies were second best throughout at Selhurst Park as Jean-Philippe Mateta’s second-half brace condemned them to a first defeat in five games.

“After the win against Tottenham, we were prepared to go the same way,” explained Howe. “I thought, tactically, the game would suit us that way. I had no issue doing so, but our execution has to be better than that. Our execution against Tottenham was of the highest level – here, it wasn’t.

“Both teams were trying to press each other. Crystal Palace played well, and it was no surprise to us that they were going to come and press, with a new manager and new philosophy. We were prepared for that, but we didn’t execute well enough.”

Howe made changes after Mateta’s 55th-minute opener, withdrawing Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes and bringing on Callum Wilson and Lewis Hall.

However, rather than also changing shape for the final half-hour, he stuck with the same formation even though it meant having to move Elliot Anderson to right wing-back.

Anderson did not look especially comfortable in his role for the final third of the game, but Howe did not feel that his tactics were a key factor in determining the final outcome.

“We were trying to find a way to help the team,” he said. “We make substitutions and tactical tweaks, but whenever you talk tactically, it’s always about the attitude of the group, first and foremost.

“If you’re not quite where you need to be mentally, for whatever reason, then it doesn’t matter what you do tactically, you’re going to fall down. And I think that’s probably where we were.”

Howe also conceded that a ten-day break between matches did not really play in Newcastle’s favour, with his side looking rusty as they returned to action after a weekend off.

While the Magpies were training without a game because of Manchester United’s involvement in the FA Cup semi-finals, Palace were gaining confidence from a 5-2 thrashing of London rivals West Ham.

“We worked during the gap for it not to have an adverse effect on our performance, but we knew the gap was there and we have to take responsibility for that,” said Howe. “It’s not an excuse, but maybe that gap did hamper our rhythm, we looked rusty in lots of aspects of our game.

“Crystal Palace played well and made it difficult for us, but usually we’re better technically than that, and that was the big area of our game that disappointed me. We gave the ball away too much.

“We didn’t attack well, and seemed reluctant to shoot around their goal. That baffles me really. When we got half a yard, we didn’t pull the trigger, and I don’t think any of our game was in a good place really.

“It was from the high of Tottenham to the low of this game. I think we were disappointing in most aspects of our play. We have to take responsibility for that. Maybe the gap between games didn’t help us, on reflection. But still, we knew that gap was there, and we had to perform better than we did. It’s a missed opportunity.”