🔗 Share this article

Eddie Howe is not prone to dramatics or grand public pronouncements. So by his usual demeanor, his press conference following the weekend's 3-1 defeat qualifies as a angry outburst. Newcastle took an early lead but West Ham took the lead by half-time, as well as striking the woodwork and seeing a spot-kick overturned by VAR, leading Howe to execute a triple change at the half-time.

“The opening period was particularly irritating,” the coach said. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I believe this indicated of our performance level at that stage during the match and it’s very, very rare for me to have that impression. Actually, I don’t think having done so during my tenure as manager of the club, so I felt the team needed a significant change at half-time. This explains why I did those decisions.”

Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade and Emil Krafth were substituted at the interval and Newcastle did stabilise somewhat in the latter period, but never appearing like they might get back into the contest against a side that had won only one of their previous nine league matches. Given how packed the middle of the standings currently is, with a mere three-point gap separating third from 11th, and a nine-point margin between the upper and lower ranks, a sequence of twelve points from ten matches has not left the Magpies adrift but, equally, they cannot end the campaign in 13th.

The Issue of Expectations

The problem to an extent is one of perception. In the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the club possess the richest backers in the world. The expectation at the time the Saudi fund acquired 80% of the club in recent years was that it would have a game-changing impact, as Roman Abramovich achieved at Stamford Bridge or the City Group did at the Etihad. The distinction is that those two owners assumed control before the introduction of financial fair play regulations (and the ongoing allegations against City concern if they violated those regulations once they were implemented).

Financial regulations restrict the ability of proprietors, however rich, to invest funds on their teams and so in that sense likely might have slowed every Middle Eastern effort to elevate Newcastle to the level of City. But it wasn't necessary for the club's expenditure to have been quite as cautious as it has; they might have spent more and remained within the threshold – or simply taken a relatively meagre Uefa fine since their big problem is more with the European than the Premier League rules.

Stadium Investment and Financial Rules

Additionally, stadium development is exempted from PSR calculations; the simplest way to raise income to create more financial flexibility would be to expand or renovate the stadium. Given the site of the home ground, with protected structures on two sides, in reality that likely implies building an completely new stadium. Rumors circulated in March of possibly undertaking the short move to Leazes Park – opposition from local groups could surely have been overcome with a commitment to create a new park on the current stadium site – but there has not been any progress on that plan. There has been significant cutbacks from the Saudi fund on a variety of projects as it shifts focus on local investments; the attitude to Newcastle seems completely in alignment with that change of approach.

The Alexander Isak Saga

The Alexander Isak saga was born of that conflict. A more confident leadership might have portrayed his transfer as essential to release capital for further investment; instead there was a vain attempt to keep him. This resulted in Newcastle started the campaign amid a feeling of disappointment even with the acquisitions of several new players. The opening was indifferent: one win in their first six fixtures.

But it seemed a corner had been turned. They had won five in six before the weekend, a streak that included demolitions of Union Saint-Gilloise and Benfica in the Champions League. That’s why the performance against the Hammers was so surprising. The problem perhaps is that the team's style is extremely intense, very high-octane; a slight drop-off in intensity can have profound effects. Maybe the strain of Premier League, European and Carabao Cup matches, five fixtures in 15 days, had got to them. Woltemade started all five games and looked particularly weary.

The Nature of Contemporary Soccer

This is the nature of today's the sport. Coaches have to be prepared to make changes. The manager has been unlucky that Wissa’s fitness issue has meant he is short of forward choices but, regardless of how reasonable the explanations, the weekend's showing was unacceptable –particularly following scoring first at a ground ready to turn on its home team.

The Newcastle boss will hope it was just a blip, an off-day when all players is off-colour at once, but if the Magpies are to secure the Champions League next season, not to mention eventually mount an actual championship bid, they cannot be as inconsistent as this.