🔗 Share this article

Eddie Howe isn't typically prone to dramatics or grand public pronouncements. So by his standards, his press conference following the weekend's loss to West Ham qualifies as a angry tirade. His side scored first but West Ham took the lead by the interval, while also hitting the post and having a penalty revoked by VAR, prompting Howe to execute a triple change at the half-time.

“That was the frustrating thing about the first half,” the coach stated. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I think that was a reflection of our performance level at that stage in the game and it’s very, very rare for me to feel that way. 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 the break. That’s why I made those decisions.”

Three key players all came off at half-time and the team did stabilise somewhat in the latter period, but never really looking like they might fight back into the contest against a side that had secured just a single victory of their previous nine league matches. Given how packed the centre of the table is, with just three points dividing third from 11th, and nine points between second and 17th, a run of twelve points from ten matches has not placed the Magpies adrift but, similarly, they cannot finish the season in thirteenth place.

The Problem of Expectations

The problem partially is one of perception. In the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the club possess the richest owners in the globe. The expectation when the PIF bought 80% of the team in recent years was that it would bring a game-changing impact, similar to Roman Abramovich achieved at Stamford Bridge or Sheikh Mansour did at the Etihad. The difference is that those two owners assumed control prior to the advent of financial fair play rules (and the ongoing allegations against City relate to whether they violated those regulations once they were in place).

Financial regulations restrict the capacity of proprietors, no matter how wealthy, to spend money on their squads and so in that sense likely might have hindered every Middle Eastern attempt to elevate the team to the standard of Manchester City. However it wasn't necessary for the club's expenditure to have been so restrained as it has; they might have invested further and remained within the limit – or simply taken a relatively meagre Uefa penalty given their major problem is more with the continental than the domestic regulation.

Stadium Spending and Financial Rules

Besides which, infrastructure spending is excluded from Profit and Sustainability calculations; the easiest way to raise income to create additional PSR headroom would be to expand or renovate the arena. Given the location of St James’ Park, with protected structures on two sides, practically that likely means building an entirely new venue. There was talk in March of potentially undertaking the short move to a local park – resistance from community organizations could surely have been surmounted with a commitment to create a new park on the existing stadium site – but there has not been no movement on that plan. There has been substantial retrenchment from the Saudi fund on a variety of initiatives as it shifts focus on local investments; the approach to the football club appears completely in keeping with that strategic shift.

Player Sales Situation

The Alexander Isak saga was arose from that conflict. A bolder leadership might have framed his sale as essential to free up capital for additional investment; instead there was a unsuccessful effort to retain him. This resulted in the team began the season amid a feeling of frustration even with the acquisitions of several new players. The start was mixed: one win in their first six fixtures.

But it seemed a corner had been turned. They secured five victories in six matches prior to Sunday, a streak that featured demolitions of Union Saint-Gilloise and Benfica in the European competition. That’s why the display against West Ham was so surprising. The issue perhaps is that the team's style is extremely intense, high-energy; a slight drop-off in energy can have profound consequences. Maybe the pressure of Premier League, European and cup competition, five games in a fortnight, had taken its toll. Woltemade featured in each of those games and looked especially fatigued.

The Nature of Modern Football

That’s the nature of today's football. Managers must be prepared to make changes. The manager has been unfortunate that the forward's fitness issue has left him short of attacking options but, no matter how valid the reasons, Sunday’s showing was unacceptable –particularly following scoring first at a stadium primed to turn on its own side.

Howe will hope it was merely a temporary setback, an off-day when everybody is below par simultaneously, but if the Magpies are to qualify for the Champions League in the future, let alone eventually launch an genuine championship bid, they must not be as inconsistent as this.