Anthony Gordon has already held 'showdown talks' with Eddie Howe after seven games for Newcastle
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Newcastle manager Eddie Howe says Anthony Gordon has accepted he was "overly emotional" after being substituted against Brentford and has since apologised for his actions.
The 22-year-old forward, who joined the Magpies from Everton in January for a reported £45 million, reacted furiously to being substituted in Saturday's Premier League clash at the Gtech Community Stadium.
He was initially brought on at the break as Newcastle trailed 1-0 after Ivan Toney converted from the spot.
And with Gordon's help, the top four hopefuls managed to secure a crucial three points in their bid for Champions League football thanks to second-half goals from David Raya [OG] and Alexander Isak.
But inevitably, the touchline actions of Anthony Gordon grabbed the headlines.
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Gordon was visibly upset when Eddie Howe replaced him for Matt Ritchie in the latter stages. In fact, Gordon rejected Howe's attempts to shake his hand – a scene that soon went viral online.
Several days later and ahead of Newcastle's upcoming clash against Aston Villa, Howe opened up about the incident.
"He [Gordon] felt the need to apologise," he said.
"A part of me understood why he acted like he did but you don't want to see a player react like that because it looks like he doesn't have the discipline he needs. If he had an issue, come and see me in private.
"That's how I felt he should have acted but he's a young player learning."
Howe added: "He accepted he was overly emotional and apologised. We had a 10/15 minute chat and moved on very quickly.
"As his manager, I need to help him. His enthusiasm, aggression and motivation levels are very high. He is fiercely determined to do well and achieve.
"That is one of his hallmarks and strengths, and we want to embrace that - we love that about him - but in certain moments he needs a cool head as well. He just needs some refining around the edges."
🤝 | Eddie Howe speaking on the Anthony Gordon situation. #NUFC
— NUFC360 (@NUFC360) April 14, 2023
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Gordon, who has made seven appearances for Newcastle since his arrival, has been told to put the incident behind him by former Manchester City defender Micah Richards.
Writing in his Daily Mail column, Richards said: "I saw a video on social media of Anthony Gordon reacting badly to being substituted during Newcastle’s win at Brentford.
“It wasn’t a good look, by any means. What he did took me back to my early days when Stuart Pearce once substituted me during a game at Reading.
“I flung my shirt on the floor in temper. Stuart saw it and said: ‘Don’t ever do that again. I’m the manager. I make the decisions for this team — not you.’ The penny dropped and we got over it, quickly.
“I like Gordon and think he has potential. He can put this behind him.”
Thoughts on Gordon's actions during last weekend's clash against Brentford?
Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: Alamy/Twitter
Topics: Newcastle United, Premier League, Anthony Gordon, Eddie Howe
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