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The Newcastle manager isn't typically prone to histrionics or sweeping public pronouncements. So by his standards, his media briefing after Sunday’s loss to West Ham counts as a angry outburst. His side scored first but West Ham were ahead by the interval, as well as striking the woodwork and seeing a spot-kick overturned by VAR, prompting Howe to make a triple change at the half-time.

“The opening period was particularly irritating,” Howe said. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I believe this indicated of our performance level in that moment in the game and it's extremely uncommon for me to feel that way. Actually, I cannot recall having done so during my tenure as manager of Newcastle, so I felt the team needed some shaking up at the break. That’s why I made what I did.”

Three key players were substituted at the interval and the team managed to steady somewhat in the latter period, but never really looking like they might get back into the game against a side that had won only one of their previous nine fixtures. Given how packed the middle of the standings is, with just three points separating third from 11th, and a nine-point margin between second and 17th, a run of 12 points from 10 games has not placed the Magpies adrift but, similarly, they must not finish the season in 13th.

The Problem of Expectations

The challenge partially is one of public view. With the Saudi PIF, the club have the richest backers in the world. The expectation when the PIF acquired a majority stake of the team in 2021 was that it would bring a game-changing impact, similar to Roman Abramovich achieved at Stamford Bridge or Sheikh Mansour had at Manchester City. The difference is that both of those investors assumed control before the introduction of FFP regulations (while the current allegations against City concern if they breached those regulations after they were in place).

Profit and sustainability restrictions limit the ability of owners, however rich, to invest funds on their squads and therefore probably would have slowed every Middle Eastern attempt to raise the team to the level of City. However there is no need for Newcastle’s spending to have been so restrained as it has; they might have spent more and remained within the threshold – or just accepted a fairly minor Uefa penalty since their major problem is primarily with the European than the Premier League rules.

Infrastructure Spending and PSR Rules

Additionally, stadium development is excluded from Profit and Sustainability calculations; the simplest way to raise income to create more PSR headroom would be to expand or renovate the stadium. Considering the site of the home ground, with listed buildings on two sides, in reality that probably implies building an entirely new venue. There was talk in spring of possibly undertaking the short move to a local park – resistance from community organizations might have been surmounted with a promise to build a new park on the current stadium site – but there has not been any progress on that proposal. There has been significant cutbacks from the Saudi fund on a variety of initiatives as it shifts focus on local investments; the approach to Newcastle seems completely in keeping with that change of approach.

Player Sales Saga

The Alexander Isak saga was arose from that tension. A more confident leadership could have portrayed his sale as necessary to release funds for additional investment; instead there was a vain effort to retain him. That meant Newcastle started the campaign amid a sense of frustration even with the acquisitions of Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Anthony Elanga. The opening was indifferent: a single victory in their initial six fixtures.

But it appeared a turning point had been turned. They secured five in six prior to the weekend, a streak that featured demolitions of a Belgian side and Benfica in the European competition. This explains the performance against West Ham was such a shock. The problem perhaps is that the team's style is extremely intense, very high-octane; a minor decrease in intensity can have significant effects. Perhaps the strain of domestic, Champions League and cup competition, five fixtures in 15 days, had got to them. Woltemade started each of those games and looked particularly weary.

The Nature of Modern Soccer

This is the reality of today's football. Coaches must be ready to rotate. Howe has been unlucky that the forward's injury has left him lacking forward choices but, regardless of how valid the reasons, the weekend's performance was inexcusable –particularly following scoring first at a stadium ready to criticize its home team.

The Newcastle boss will wish it was just a blip, one of those days when all players is below par at once, but if Newcastle are to qualify for the European competition next season, not to mention eventually launch an actual championship bid, they cannot be as inconsistent as they have been.