‘Newcastle require Premier League reboot amid curious season’

Storm clouds were forming.

Eddie Howe, head coach of Newcastle United, was in a dark mood on the team bus as he watched his team lose to Brentford on the long trip home in December.

Newcastle languishing in the bottom half of the table after suffering a shocking defeat at the Gtech Community Stadium, where Howe delivered some “harsh words” to his players.

It served as the catalyst for a reset that saw Newcastle begin a nine-game winning run.

Nearly a year later, Newcastle appears to need a reboot after another humiliating defeat at Brentford.

Before Saturday’s visit to St James’ Park by former champion Manchester City, they are currently just two points above the relegation zone.

Howe remarked, “We have been quite upfront.” That’s how I work, I tell myself. You can’t possibly be anything else, in my opinion. You must be truthful.

You must assume that these players are moving so quickly for us to stop for that long.

Howe has sat down during the international break rather than requesting assurances from those in his position.

He has examined training, watched games, and attempted to find solutions to what has been a strange campaign to date.

Newcastle have won six of their past nine games in all competitions, which is easy to forget. In the Champions League standings, Howe’s side is currently sixth. Fulham will host the Carabao Cup holders in the home quarter-final next month. They are still only six points off of fifth place.

However, Newcastle have only won three league games this year, and defender Dan Burn has suggested that their team are struggling with the “mentality challenge” as they battle on a number of fronts.

He stated earlier this month, “I believe Manchester City are the best at doing this.” Whatever kind of competition they enter, regardless of how many days of rest they have, they always have a certain standard that they can expect and always deliver.

This season, Newcastle have not provided enough entertainment.

Since April, Howe’s team hasn’t managed to win a league game, and both ends of the pitch have obvious issues.

Record signing Nick Woltemade has had to take on the scoring load with Yoane Wissa still out with his injury, having scored 44% of Newcastle’s league goals since making his debut in September.

Woltemade has been struggling lately, coming in deep to try to get involved, and the team isn’t succeeding in the closing third.

It is obvious that others need to step up more frequently, even though those in Woltemade have been making adjustments to a very different profile of striker and to him.

The top flight’s top players, including captain Bruno Guimaraes, Anthony Elanga, Anthony Gordon, and Harvey Barnes, have all scored just three league goals this season.

At first glance, the defensive image appears more advantageous.

Only Manchester City, Chelsea, and Leeds United, the only teams in the league with fewer shots (117), have kept more clean sheets than Newcastle (15).

However, that does not always mean the whole is true.

In recent weeks, Newcastle have only conceded eight goals in three away games against Brentford, West Ham, and Brighton.

Newcastle did not score a single goal in the top flight’s three previous away games, but they are starting to make more shots available.

It is not surprising that both Brentford and West Ham won more matches against a team and a heavyweight midfield that once praised its physicality, intensity, and ability to cover ground effectively.

Newcastle have consistently glared brittle in the lead and have thrown away nine points from winning positions this year than any other team.

For context, this squad was strengthened by a £100 million plus net spend the summer of last.

However, there was a fear inside that a turbulent window might start to test the waters and that the effects might start to manifest themselves.

Given the hectic schedule, four of the five signings Newcastle made were in the final two and a half weeks of the deal, with little time for them to fully integrate into the system. Alexander Isak only signed for £125m from Liverpool on deadline day after going on strike several weeks prior.

Newcastle have missed Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento’s ability to use Wissa’s pace and instincts at full-back, just as a number of newcomers are still settling in, as they have been sidelined as a result of recent injury.

However, Howe needs to find solutions in the Premier League, whether it is a systemic change, a style change, or a personnel change.