Eddie Howe isn't typically prone to histrionics or sweeping media statements. Based on his usual demeanor, his media briefing following the weekend's 3-1 defeat counts as a angry outburst. His side scored first but the opposition were ahead by half-time, as well as striking the woodwork and having a penalty revoked by VAR, prompting Howe to execute a three substitutions at the half-time.
“That was the frustrating thing about the first half,” Howe said. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I believe this indicated of where we were at that stage during the match and it’s very, very rare for me to feel that way. Actually, I cannot recall I have during my tenure as manager of Newcastle, so I felt the squad required some shaking up at the break. That’s why I did those decisions.”
Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade and Emil Krafth were substituted at the interval and the team did stabilise somewhat in the latter period, but never appearing like they could fight back into the contest against a side that had won only one of their last nine league matches. Considering how packed the centre of the table is, with just three points separating third from 11th, and nine points between the upper and lower ranks, a run of twelve points from 10 games has not placed the Magpies adrift but, similarly, they must not end the campaign in thirteenth place.
The challenge partially is one of perception. In the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle have the richest owners in the globe. The expectation when the PIF acquired 80% of the club in recent years was that it would have a game-changing impact, similar to Roman Abramovich achieved at Stamford Bridge or the City Group had at Manchester City. The difference is that those two owners assumed control before the advent of FFP rules (while the current charges against City relate to whether they violated those guidelines after they were implemented).
Financial restrictions limit the ability of proprietors, however rich, to invest funds on their squads and so in that sense likely might have slowed every Middle Eastern effort to raise the team to the standard of Manchester City. However it wasn't necessary for the club's spending to have been so restrained as it has been; they might have invested further and stayed inside the limit – or just accepted a relatively meagre Uefa penalty given their major problem is primarily with the European than the domestic rules.
Additionally, stadium development is exempted from Profit and Sustainability calculations; the simplest way to raise income to generate more financial flexibility would be to extend or renovate the stadium. Considering the location of the home ground, with protected structures on two sides, practically that probably implies constructing an completely new venue. There was talk in March of possibly undertaking the nearby relocation to a local park – opposition from local groups could surely have been surmounted with a promise to build a new park on the current ground location – but there has been any progress on that plan. There has been substantial retrenchment from the Saudi fund on a variety of initiatives as it refocuses on domestic affairs; the attitude to the football club appears entirely in alignment with that change of approach.
The Alexander Isak saga was arose from that tension. A more confident leadership could have portrayed his transfer as necessary to free up funds for further investment; rather there was a unsuccessful effort to retain him. That meant Newcastle started the campaign amid a feeling of disappointment despite the signings of several new players. The start was mixed: one win in their initial six games.
Yet it seemed a turning point was reached. They had won five victories in six matches before the weekend, a run that included convincing wins of a Belgian side and a Portuguese club in the Champions League. This explains the performance against West Ham was such a shock. The problem maybe is that Newcastle’s approach is extremely intense, high-energy; a minor decrease in intensity can have profound consequences. Perhaps the strain of Premier League, Champions League and cup competition, five fixtures in a fortnight, had taken its toll. Woltemade featured in all five games and appeared especially weary.
This is the reality of today's the sport. Coaches have to be ready to rotate. The manager has been unfortunate that the forward's injury has left him short of forward choices but, no matter how valid the explanations, the weekend's performance was unacceptable –particularly following taking the lead at a stadium primed to turn on its own side.
The Newcastle boss will wish it was merely a temporary setback, an off-day when everybody is off-colour at once, but if Newcastle are to qualify for the Champions League in the future, not to mention one day mount an genuine championship bid, they cannot be as unreliable as this.
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