🔗 Share this article

Eddie Howe is not prone to dramatics or sweeping media statements. Based on his usual demeanor, his media briefing following Sunday’s loss to West Ham counts as a furious outburst. His side scored first but the opposition took the lead by the interval, as well as striking the woodwork and having a penalty overturned by VAR, leading Howe to execute a three substitutions at the break.

“That was the frustrating thing about the first half,” Howe stated. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I believe this indicated of where we were in that moment in the game and it’s very, very rare for me to have that impression. In fact, I don’t think having done so since I’ve been head coach of Newcastle, so I felt the squad required some shaking up at the break. This explains why I made what I did.”

Three key players all came off at the interval and the team managed to steady to an extent in the latter period, without ever really looking like they could get back into the game against a side that had won only one of their previous nine fixtures. Given how packed the middle of the table is, with a mere three-point gap dividing the top spots from mid-table, and a nine-point margin between second and 17th, a run of twelve points from 10 games has not left Newcastle adrift but, equally, they cannot finish the season in 13th.

The Problem of Expectations

The problem to an extent is one of public view. With the Saudi PIF, Newcastle have the richest backers in the world. The assumption at the time the Saudi fund bought 80% of the team in recent years was that it would bring a game-changing impact, similar to the former Chelsea owner achieved at Stamford Bridge or Sheikh Mansour did at the Etihad. The difference is that both of those owners assumed control prior to the introduction of financial fair play rules (while the current charges against City concern whether they breached those guidelines after they were implemented).

Profit and sustainability restrictions restrict the capacity of owners, no matter how wealthy, to invest funds on their teams and so in that sense probably might have slowed every Middle Eastern effort to elevate the team to the level of City. However there is no need for Newcastle’s expenditure to have been so restrained as it has been; they could have invested further and stayed inside the limit – or just accepted a fairly minor European penalty given their major issue is primarily with the European than the domestic rules.

Infrastructure Investment and Financial Regulations

Additionally, stadium development is excluded from PSR assessments; the simplest method to raise income to generate more financial headroom would be to expand or renovate the stadium. Considering the site of the home ground, with listed buildings on multiple sides, practically that probably implies building an entirely new venue. Rumors circulated in spring of possibly making the short move to Leazes Park – opposition from local groups might have been surmounted with a commitment to build a replacement green space on the existing stadium site – but there has not been no movement on that plan. There has occurred significant cutbacks from the PIF on a range of projects as it shifts focus on domestic affairs; the attitude to Newcastle appears entirely in alignment with that change of approach.

The Alexander Isak Saga

The Alexander Isak episode was arose from that conflict. A bolder management might have portrayed his transfer as essential to free up capital for additional investment; rather there was a vain attempt to retain him. This resulted in Newcastle started the campaign amid a feeling of frustration despite the signings of several new players. The start was mixed: a single victory in their initial six fixtures.

Yet it seemed a turning point had been turned. They secured five in six before Sunday, a run that featured convincing wins of a Belgian side and Benfica in the Champions League. That’s why the display against West Ham was such a shock. The issue perhaps is that the team's approach is extremely intense, high-energy; a slight drop-off in energy can have significant consequences. Perhaps the strain of domestic, Champions League and Carabao Cup competition, five fixtures in 15 days, had got to them. The German forward started each of those matches and appeared especially fatigued.

Reality of Modern Soccer

That’s the nature of today's football. Coaches have to be ready to rotate. The manager has been unlucky that Wissa’s injury has meant he is lacking forward choices but, regardless of how reasonable the explanations, Sunday’s showing was unacceptable –especially after taking the lead at a stadium ready to criticize its home team.

Howe will wish it was merely a temporary setback, one of those days when everybody is below par at once, but if Newcastle are to secure the Champions League next season, not to mention eventually launch an actual title challenge, they must not be as unreliable as this.