Eddie Howe avoided a public spat with Arne Slot after the Liverpool manager referred to Newcastle as a “smaller club” while questioning their handling of Alexander Isak.
The Swedish striker, who joined Liverpool in a £125 million move on transfer deadline day, has been struggling for fitness after skipping Newcastle’s pre-season and early fixtures to force through the transfer.
Isak finally returned to action in Liverpool’s 5-1 Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt but picked up a groin injury, leaving him doubtful for their upcoming clash with Brentford.
“Alexander is not too bad,” Slot said before the game. “He is a question mark for the weekend so we will see where he is.”
The Liverpool boss had earlier suggested that players’ preparations differ depending on the club, saying: “Maybe a player who hasn’t trained or played in pre-season at a smaller club than if you go to Liverpool.”
Asked to respond, Howe declined to fuel the debate but defended Newcastle’s player management and facilities. “The set-up here is very good. It is not perfect, but the owners have developed the facilities very well,” he said.
“You can see there is building work going on currently to hopefully deliver even better in the future. We’ve got elite athletes here, many of them, and touch wood, we’re managing them pretty well.”
When pressed on whether he would “go into bat” for Newcastle, Howe smiled: “I don’t think that’s wise for me to get involved in those discussions. Alex is no longer at this football club, so I won’t comment on it.”
Liverpool head into the Brentford match after snapping a four-game losing streak, while Howe’s Newcastle approach their Premier League clash with Fulham buoyed by a 3-0 Champions League win over Benfica.