🔗 Share this article

The Newcastle manager is not given to histrionics or sweeping public pronouncements. Based on his usual demeanor, his media briefing following the weekend's loss to West Ham qualifies as a angry tirade. Newcastle scored first but West Ham were ahead by half-time, while also hitting the post and seeing a spot-kick revoked by VAR, prompting Howe to execute a three substitutions at the break.

“That was the frustrating thing about the first half,” the coach said. “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 extremely uncommon for me to feel that way. Actually, I cannot recall I have since I’ve been head coach of Newcastle, so I felt the team needed a significant change at half-time. That’s why I made those decisions.”

Three key players all came off at half-time and the team did stabilise somewhat in the second half, without ever really looking like they could get back into the contest against an opponent that had won only one of their last nine league matches. Considering the congestion the middle of the standings is, with a mere three-point gap separating third from 11th, and nine points between the upper and lower ranks, a run of twelve points from 10 games has not left the Magpies adrift but, equally, they must not end the campaign in 13th.

The Issue of Expectations

The challenge to an extent is one of perception. In the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle possess the richest backers in the world. The assumption when the PIF bought a majority stake of the club in recent years was that it would bring a game-changing impact, similar to Roman Abramovich had at Chelsea or Sheikh Mansour did at the Etihad. The distinction is that those two investors took over prior to the introduction of financial fair play rules (while the current charges against City concern if they breached those guidelines after they were in place).

Financial regulations limit the capacity of proprietors, however rich, to invest funds on their teams and so in that sense likely would have hindered every Saudi attempt to raise Newcastle to the level of Manchester City. However there is no need for Newcastle’s spending to have been so restrained as it has been; they could have spent more and remained within the threshold – or simply taken a fairly minor Uefa penalty since their big issue is more with the European than the Premier League regulation.

Infrastructure Spending and PSR Regulations

Besides which, stadium development is exempted from PSR assessments; the easiest method to increase revenue to generate more financial flexibility would be to extend or redevelop the stadium. Considering the location of the home ground, with protected structures on multiple sides, in reality that probably means constructing an completely new stadium. Rumors circulated in March of potentially making the short move to a local park – opposition from local groups might have been surmounted with a commitment to build a replacement green space on the current stadium site – but there has been any progress on that plan. There has occurred significant cutbacks from the PIF on a range of initiatives as it refocuses on domestic affairs; the approach to Newcastle seems completely in keeping with that strategic shift.

The Alexander Isak Saga

The Alexander Isak saga was born of that tension. A more confident management might have portrayed his transfer as essential to release capital for further investment; instead there was a unsuccessful attempt to retain him. This resulted in Newcastle began the season amid a feeling of frustration despite the signings of several new players. The start was indifferent: a single victory in their initial six fixtures.

But it seemed a corner had been turned. They secured five in six before the weekend, a run that featured convincing wins of Union Saint-Gilloise and Benfica in the European competition. That’s why the display against the Hammers was such a shock. The issue maybe is that Newcastle’s style is extremely intense, very high-octane; a slight drop-off in energy can have significant effects. Maybe the pressure of Premier League, European and cup matches, five games in a fortnight, had taken its toll. The German forward featured in all five games and looked particularly fatigued.

The Nature of Modern Soccer

That’s the nature of modern the sport. Managers must be ready to rotate. The manager has been unlucky that the forward's fitness issue has meant he is short of forward choices but, no matter how reasonable the reasons, the weekend's performance was unacceptable –especially after scoring first at a stadium ready to criticize its own side.

Howe will wish it was just a blip, one of those days when all players is off-colour at once, but if Newcastle are to secure the Champions League in the future, let alone eventually mount an genuine championship bid, they cannot be as inconsistent as they have been.