‘We have let everybody down’ – Newcastle struggle on the road again

A familiar refrain rang around stadiums up and down the country less than a year ago.

“I don’t want to go home,” Newcastle United fans sang repeatedly. “This is the best trip I’ve ever been on.”

Yet victories at the Emirates, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and Old Trafford felt like a fever dream on Sunday as Newcastle fell to a 3-1 defeat against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

It was certainly not the anniversary present Howe had in mind as he marked four years as the Magpies’ head coach.

Howe’s side have failed to win on the road in the Premier League since April and now lie just two points above the relegation zone.

“I can’t give you a satisfactory answer to that because it’s not satisfactory,” Howe said, when asked about the contrast in away results.

Similar words were said, of course, after a 3-1 defeat against West Ham in the capital a week ago.

Captain Bruno Guimaraes even said his side were “going to be motivated for Sunday”.

Nine of those who lined up at the London Stadium were given the chance to end the club’s wait for an away victory against Brentford.

But this is a team who have developed a nasty habit of turning up under the lights at St James’ Park and in Champions League games, only to fail truer tests of their mentality on their travels in the Premier League.

Sure enough, just days after a 2-0 home win against Athletic Club in the Champions League, Newcastle foundered on the road once again – despite going ahead through Harvey Barnes.

“It is hard to see what the difference is,” Barnes told Sky Sports. “There shouldn’t be, really. The results shouldn’t differ as much as they are.”

But it keeps happening.

The word “relentless” has so often been used to describe Newcastle at their very best under Howe over the years.

Yet it was rather telling that Brentford manager Keith Andrews justifiably used that term while talking about his own side after they covered more distance, won more aerial duels, and had seven times as many shots on target than Newcastle.

“We want it to be a place where it’s uncomfortable for the opposition,” he said.

It might be easy to forget that Newcastle were in front at half-time, only to fail to press home that advantage.

The Magpies took nearly half an hour to register their first shot on target, which Barnes converted impressively, but they did not muster another.

It has become a familiar story.

Newcastle have failed to score more than once in all of their nine winless away fixtures in the league.

Record signing Nick Woltemade has made an impressive start – scoring six goals in 12 starts. He popped up with a moment of pure inspiration at Brighton last month to briefly drag his side level, and played his part in Barnes’ goal on Sunday.

But he has cut an increasingly isolated figure on the road, often coming deep to try to get involved.

At a time when his fellow forward Yoane Wissa remains sidelined, few others are stepping up to ease the burden and grab that crucial second goal in games.

In fact, aside from Woltemade, Barnes and Jacob Murphy are the only other Newcastle players to score away from home in the Premier League this season.

Issues at the back are just as alarming for Newcastle as their lack of goals.

When they failed to score in each of their opening three away days this season, they could at least back on a resilient backline to keep a clean sheet and secure a point against Aston Villa, Leeds United and Bournemouth.

But Newcastle have since let in eight goals – at Brentford, Brighton and West Ham – and a team of supposed giants ultimately crumbled at the Gtech.

After Sven Botman could only flick Michael Kayode’s long throw across his own goal, goalkeeper Nick Pope was at sea as Kevin Schade headed his side level.

Guimaraes may have argued the case with referee Stuart Attwell that Pope was impeded, but the goal rightly stood and Newcastle never recovered.

Dan Burn was then extremely fortunate not to give away a penalty – the first time around – after taking down Dango Ouattara inside the area.

But rather than taking Burn off there and then – at a time when the 6ft 7in defender was on a yellow card – Howe opted not to.

By the time left-back Lewis Hall finally entered the fray, from the bench, his side were 2-1 down following Igor Thiago’s penalty, Burn had been sent off for a second booking after fouling Ouattara, and Pope had gone off with a concussion on an afternoon Joelinton also hobbled off.

Yet Newcastle’s defending only got worse.

Malick Thiaw failed to cut out Mathias Jensen’s through ball for Brentford’s third goal and the casual Botman was far too slow to react as Thiago slotted the ball under substitute Aaron Ramsdale.

It brought back memories of Newcastle’s display at the Gtech at a similar stage of last season, when the visitors were beaten 4-2.

That bruising loss ended up proving a turning point, but nothing suggests this side are about to embark on an almighty nine-game winning run again.

They look a long way away from that.