🔗 Share this article

The Newcastle manager isn't typically prone to histrionics or sweeping media statements. So by his usual demeanor, his media briefing after the weekend's 3-1 defeat qualifies as a furious tirade. His side took an early lead but West Ham took the lead by half-time, as well as hitting the post and seeing a spot-kick revoked by VAR, prompting Howe to execute a three substitutions at the half-time.

“The opening period was particularly irritating,” Howe said. “I almost could have taken anyone off and I think this indicated of where we were at that stage during the match and it's extremely uncommon for me to have that impression. In fact, I don’t think I have during my tenure as manager of the club, so I felt the squad required some shaking up at half-time. That’s why I made what I did.”

Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade and Emil Krafth were substituted at the interval and Newcastle managed to steady somewhat in the latter period, without ever appearing like they could get back into the contest against a side that had won only one of their last nine league matches. Given the congestion the middle of the standings currently is, with a mere three-point gap separating the top spots from mid-table, and nine points between second and 17th, a sequence of 12 points from 10 games has not left Newcastle adrift but, equally, they must not end the campaign in 13th.

The Problem of Expectations

The challenge to an extent is one of perception. In the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle possess the richest owners in the world. The expectation at the time the Saudi fund acquired a majority stake of the club in recent years was that it would bring a game-changing impact, as the former Chelsea owner had at Chelsea or Sheikh Mansour did at the Etihad. The difference is that those two owners assumed control before the introduction of FFP rules (while the ongoing allegations against Manchester City concern whether they violated those guidelines once they were in place).

Financial restrictions restrict the ability of owners, no matter how wealthy, to spend money on their squads and therefore likely might have slowed any Middle Eastern effort to raise the team to the standard of City. However there is no need for Newcastle’s spending to have been quite as cautious as it has; they could have invested further and stayed inside the threshold – or just accepted a fairly minor European fine since their major issue is primarily with the continental than the Premier League rules.

Stadium Investment and PSR Regulations

Additionally, infrastructure spending is excluded from Profit and Sustainability calculations; the easiest method to increase revenue to generate more PSR headroom would be to expand or renovate the stadium. Given the site of the home ground, with protected structures on two sides, practically that likely implies constructing an completely new stadium. There was talk in spring of potentially undertaking the short move to a local park – resistance from local groups could surely have been overcome with a commitment to build a replacement green space on the existing ground location – but there has been no movement on that plan. There has occurred substantial cutbacks from the Saudi fund on a variety of projects as it shifts focus on domestic affairs; the approach to Newcastle appears completely in alignment with that strategic shift.

Player Sales Saga

The star striker episode was arose from that tension. A more confident leadership could have framed his transfer as necessary to free up funds for additional spending; rather there was a vain attempt to retain him. This resulted in the team began the season amid a sense of frustration despite the signings of Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Anthony Elanga. The opening was mixed: one win in their first six games.

Yet it seemed a turning point was reached. They secured five in six prior to the weekend, a streak that included convincing wins of a Belgian side and a Portuguese club in the Champions League. That’s why the performance against the Hammers was such a shock. The problem maybe is that the team's approach is extremely intense, high-energy; a minor decrease in energy can have profound consequences. Perhaps the strain of Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup matches, five games in 15 days, had taken its toll. The German forward started all five games and looked particularly weary.

The Nature of Contemporary Football

That’s the reality of modern football. Coaches must be prepared to make changes. Howe has been unlucky that the forward's injury has left him short of forward choices but, no matter how valid the reasons, Sunday’s performance was unacceptable –particularly following scoring first at a ground ready to turn on its home team.

The Newcastle boss will hope it was merely a temporary setback, one of those days when everybody is below par at once, but if the Magpies are to qualify for the European competition in the future, let alone one day launch an actual title challenge, they cannot be as unreliable as they have been.