🔗 Share this article Baffling and Bewitching Newcastle Seek Remedy to Halt Chaos Supporters of the Magpies are progressively seeing their manager's side as a fickle companion. On their day, they can be the undisputed thrill-seekers, unleashing breathtaking displays. However, at other times, key players like their midfield linchpin and his teammates completely do not show up. Compounding these problems is a late-game approach suffused by a distinct element of panic. Before their holiday fixture to Manchester United, the numbers paint a troubling picture: they have let slip thirteen crucial top-flight leverage from winning situations this campaign and are without a shutout in ten straight games in every tournament. Earning three points at their famous stadium would constitute only their second league success on the road this year. A Tale of Two Sides: Optimism Among the Inconsistency On the flip side, a loss has been tasted on one occasion in their last 6 league fixtures, and although sitting in a seemingly lowly eleventh place, they are a only six marks away from the highly-prized top four. Add in an looming two-legged Carabao Cup last-four clash against the reigning champions and a decent opportunity of advancing to the Champions League knockout phase, and it is simpler to understand the gaffer's measured hope. “It's not only about difficulties,” remarked the club's manager. “You can see strengths too. My glass is very much positive currently. I realize everybody else may hold a different take, but I feel we are getting better.” The puzzle remains: will this collection of players recapture – or perhaps surpass – the achievements of last season's cup glory and fifth-place finish? Managing a hectic fixture list hinders. Weariness and Strategic Growing Pains This fatigue may account for the failure to maintain a stellar first-half performance versus their London rivals, eventually squandering a 2-0 advantage to draw the game. Similarly, it is possibly the explanation for a poor performance in a painful defeat to arch-rivals Sunderland, where the team seemed off the pace just a short time after a demanding Champions League excursion. While coaching is undoubtedly Howe's forte, the constant grind of two games a week football has severely limited valuable coaching time. This hinders the team's stylistic evolution to operating with summer signing Nick Woltemade up front, instead of the departed Alexander Isak. While hugely gifted, the German forward lacks the same blistering counter-attacking pace or intense defensive work rate. In fact, the team's signature pressing game has occasionally malfunctioned. Injuries to vital cog Joelinton have not helped, while big-money arrivals the Swedish winger and the English midfielder have struggled settling after their combined £90m+ transfers. Shape Questions and Injury Woes If a move to a back three might theoretically help the cause, a severe backline absence list renders that unlikely. Important defenders will be absent for the upcoming key matches, challenging the team's resources. At their energetic peak, they look virtually unstoppable. The catch is sustaining that fervor for the entire 90 minutes. The typical alternative approach of sitting back into a deep-lying defensive shape has at times proven self-destructive. “The Chelsea game descended into disorganized at two-all,” conceded the manager. “But the intention was trying to win. Our mentality is to always go out to win.” The Way Forward: Practicality What seems called for is a middle ground – one featuring better possession retention, a engine room adept of slowing the tempo, and a realistic willingness to sometimes accept a point. Yet, a desire to challenge on every fronts is stretching limited player numbers to their breaking point. This might sound sacrilegious to some, but a different strategy in the cup competitions in the initial stages could have eased the current fixture congestion. Amid vital Champions League and league matches on the horizon, the need to carefully choose focus areas is becoming increasingly apparent. Eddie Howe acknowledged the size of the journey ahead. “Being at a club of this size, the expectations are immense. Every moment's critical. There is progress to be made in the Premier League. We're in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, we want to go through in the Europe and perform in the FA Cup. “We're moving in the right direction, but we have a great deal of improvement to do to become the regularly winning side we aspire to be. The ability to string together sequences of victories has deserted us this season. “The objective is to attain that standard we know we're capable of. My feeling is that the assurance we can do that is returning. But nowadays we have to prove it. It ain't all doom and gloom currently, but the next few weeks will decide a lot.”
Supporters of the Magpies are progressively seeing their manager's side as a fickle companion. On their day, they can be the undisputed thrill-seekers, unleashing breathtaking displays. However, at other times, key players like their midfield linchpin and his teammates completely do not show up. Compounding these problems is a late-game approach suffused by a distinct element of panic. Before their holiday fixture to Manchester United, the numbers paint a troubling picture: they have let slip thirteen crucial top-flight leverage from winning situations this campaign and are without a shutout in ten straight games in every tournament. Earning three points at their famous stadium would constitute only their second league success on the road this year. A Tale of Two Sides: Optimism Among the Inconsistency On the flip side, a loss has been tasted on one occasion in their last 6 league fixtures, and although sitting in a seemingly lowly eleventh place, they are a only six marks away from the highly-prized top four. Add in an looming two-legged Carabao Cup last-four clash against the reigning champions and a decent opportunity of advancing to the Champions League knockout phase, and it is simpler to understand the gaffer's measured hope. “It's not only about difficulties,” remarked the club's manager. “You can see strengths too. My glass is very much positive currently. I realize everybody else may hold a different take, but I feel we are getting better.” The puzzle remains: will this collection of players recapture – or perhaps surpass – the achievements of last season's cup glory and fifth-place finish? Managing a hectic fixture list hinders. Weariness and Strategic Growing Pains This fatigue may account for the failure to maintain a stellar first-half performance versus their London rivals, eventually squandering a 2-0 advantage to draw the game. Similarly, it is possibly the explanation for a poor performance in a painful defeat to arch-rivals Sunderland, where the team seemed off the pace just a short time after a demanding Champions League excursion. While coaching is undoubtedly Howe's forte, the constant grind of two games a week football has severely limited valuable coaching time. This hinders the team's stylistic evolution to operating with summer signing Nick Woltemade up front, instead of the departed Alexander Isak. While hugely gifted, the German forward lacks the same blistering counter-attacking pace or intense defensive work rate. In fact, the team's signature pressing game has occasionally malfunctioned. Injuries to vital cog Joelinton have not helped, while big-money arrivals the Swedish winger and the English midfielder have struggled settling after their combined £90m+ transfers. Shape Questions and Injury Woes If a move to a back three might theoretically help the cause, a severe backline absence list renders that unlikely. Important defenders will be absent for the upcoming key matches, challenging the team's resources. At their energetic peak, they look virtually unstoppable. The catch is sustaining that fervor for the entire 90 minutes. The typical alternative approach of sitting back into a deep-lying defensive shape has at times proven self-destructive. “The Chelsea game descended into disorganized at two-all,” conceded the manager. “But the intention was trying to win. Our mentality is to always go out to win.” The Way Forward: Practicality What seems called for is a middle ground – one featuring better possession retention, a engine room adept of slowing the tempo, and a realistic willingness to sometimes accept a point. Yet, a desire to challenge on every fronts is stretching limited player numbers to their breaking point. This might sound sacrilegious to some, but a different strategy in the cup competitions in the initial stages could have eased the current fixture congestion. Amid vital Champions League and league matches on the horizon, the need to carefully choose focus areas is becoming increasingly apparent. Eddie Howe acknowledged the size of the journey ahead. “Being at a club of this size, the expectations are immense. Every moment's critical. There is progress to be made in the Premier League. We're in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, we want to go through in the Europe and perform in the FA Cup. “We're moving in the right direction, but we have a great deal of improvement to do to become the regularly winning side we aspire to be. The ability to string together sequences of victories has deserted us this season. “The objective is to attain that standard we know we're capable of. My feeling is that the assurance we can do that is returning. But nowadays we have to prove it. It ain't all doom and gloom currently, but the next few weeks will decide a lot.”