🔗 Share this article

Eddie Howe isn't typically prone to dramatics or grand media statements. So by his usual demeanor, his media briefing after the weekend's loss to West Ham qualifies as a angry outburst. Newcastle took an early lead but West Ham were ahead by the interval, while also hitting the post and having a penalty revoked by VAR, leading Howe to make a triple change at the break.

“That was the frustrating thing about the first half,” Howe said. “I almost could have taken anyone off and I believe this indicated of our performance level in that moment during the match and it's extremely uncommon for me to feel that way. Actually, I cannot recall having done so during my tenure as manager of Newcastle, therefore I believed the squad required a significant change at half-time. This explains why I did those decisions.”

Three key players were substituted at the interval and the team managed to steady to an extent in the second half, without ever appearing like they might get back into the contest against a side that had secured just a single victory of their previous nine fixtures. Considering how packed the middle of the table is, with just three points dividing the top spots from mid-table, and a nine-point margin between second and 17th, a sequence of twelve points from ten matches has not placed Newcastle adrift but, similarly, they cannot finish the season in thirteenth place.

The Issue of Expectations

The problem partially is one of perception. With the Saudi PIF, Newcastle have the wealthiest backers in the globe. The expectation at the time the PIF acquired a majority stake of the team in recent years was that it would bring a game-changing impact, as Roman Abramovich had at Chelsea or Sheikh Mansour had at Manchester City. The difference is that those two owners took over before the advent of financial fair play regulations (and the ongoing charges against City relate to whether they violated those guidelines after they were in place).

Profit and sustainability restrictions limit the ability of owners, however rich, to invest funds on their squads and therefore probably might have hindered any Middle Eastern effort to elevate the team to the level of Manchester City. However it wasn't necessary for Newcastle’s spending to have been quite as cautious as it has; they could have invested further and stayed inside the limit – or simply taken a relatively meagre European penalty since their major problem is primarily with the European than the Premier League regulation.

Infrastructure Investment and Financial Regulations

Besides which, stadium development is exempted from PSR calculations; the simplest method to raise income to generate more financial headroom would be to extend or renovate the arena. Considering the site of St James’ Park, with protected structures on multiple sides, practically that likely means building an entirely new stadium. There was talk in spring of potentially making the nearby relocation to a local park – opposition from community organizations might have been overcome with a promise to create a new park on the current ground location – but there has been no movement on that plan. There has been substantial cutbacks from the PIF on a range of initiatives as it shifts focus on local investments; the attitude to the football club appears completely in alignment with that strategic shift.

The Alexander Isak Situation

The star striker episode was arose from that tension. A bolder leadership could have portrayed his transfer as necessary to free up capital for additional spending; instead there was a vain attempt to retain him. That meant Newcastle began the season amid a feeling of disappointment despite the acquisitions of several new players. The start was mixed: one win in their initial six games.

Yet it appeared a corner was reached. They secured five victories in six matches before Sunday, a streak that included demolitions of a Belgian side and a Portuguese club in the European competition. This explains the performance against the Hammers was such a shock. The issue maybe is that Newcastle’s style is extremely intense, very high-octane; a minor decrease in intensity can have profound consequences. Perhaps the strain of Premier League, European and cup competition, five fixtures in a fortnight, had taken its toll. The German forward started each of those games and appeared especially weary.

Reality of Contemporary Soccer

That’s the reality of modern football. Coaches have to be ready to make changes. The manager has been unlucky that Wissa’s fitness issue has meant he is short of attacking options but, regardless of how valid the explanations, Sunday’s performance was inexcusable –particularly following scoring first at a stadium ready to criticize its own side.

Howe will wish it was merely a temporary setback, one of those days when all players is off-colour simultaneously, but if the Magpies are to qualify for the Champions League next season, let alone eventually mount an actual title challenge, they must not be as inconsistent as this.