🔗 Share this article Baffling & Mesmerizing The Magpies Search for Remedy to End Disorder Followers of the Tyneside club are increasingly viewing their manager's squad as a fickle ally. On their day, they prove to be the very entertainers, producing high-octane performances. But, at other times, once-dependable figures like Sandro Tonali and his teammates simply do not show up. Exacerbating the frustration is a second-half approach suffused by a distinct tendency of chaos. Ahead of their Boxing Day to Manchester United, the facts paint a troubling tale: the team has dropped 13 vital Premier League points from leading positions this season and are without a shutout in 10 straight outings in every tournament. Securing a win at their famous stadium would constitute only their second-ever domestic success on the road this season. A Story of Two Sides: Optimism Among the Erraticism On the flip side, a loss has been tasted on one occasion in their most recent 6 league fixtures, and despite sitting in a modest eleventh spot, they remain a mere 6 points away from the highly-prized top four. Consider an impending two-part Carabao Cup last-four clash against the reigning champions and a decent chance of progressing to the European Cup knockout phase, and it becomes easier to appreciate the manager's guarded positivity. “Our issues aren't limited to issues,” stated the club's manager. “We have positives also. I am firmly positive right now. I know everybody else might have a different opinion, but my belief is we're making progress.” The puzzle remains: will this squad recapture – or perhaps eclipse – the heights of the previous campaign's Wembley triumph and European-qualifying finish? Managing a hectic fixture list complicates. Fatigue and Systemic Growing Pains The resulting fatigue may be the reason behind the failure to sustain a brilliant opening 45-minute showing against Chelsea, eventually surrendering a two-goal advantage to tie 2-2. Similarly, it could be the reason for a lackluster performance in a painful loss to local rivals the Black Cats, where the team appeared lethargic just days after a grueling Champions League excursion. Although on-field instruction is clearly Howe's forte, the relentless grind of twice-weekly matches has severely reduced valuable practice sessions. This slows the squad's stylistic adaptation to operating with summer signing Nick Woltemade leading the line, rather than the departed Alexander Isak. While immensely gifted, Woltemade has not shown the equivalent blistering counter-attacking speed or ferocious defensive work rate. Indeed, the team's once-formidable high press has occasionally failed. Injuries to vital engine the Brazilian midfielder have exacerbated matters, while big-money signings Anthony Elanga and the English midfielder have had difficulties adapting after their substantial moves. Shape Questions and Injury Woes If a move to a back three could theoretically help the cause, a worsening backline injury list renders that problematic. First-choice defenders will be absent for the next crucial fixtures, further testing the squad's resilience. When playing at their high-tempo best, they appear almost unplayable. The issue is sustaining that level for the full 90 minutes. The go-to plan B of dropping deep into a deep-lying defensive shape has sometimes been counterproductive. “That match descended into anarchic at two-all,” conceded the coach. “But the intention was trying to win. We always try to win.” The Way Ahead: Pragmatism What appears required is a balanced approach – with better ball retention, a midfield capable of controlling the tempo, and a pragmatic willingness to sometimes settle for a point. Yet, a desire to compete on every fronts is testing thin squad resources to their limit. This might seem sacrilegious to some, but a different strategy in the cup competitions earlier could have eased the present fixture congestion. With vital European and Premier League matches on the agenda, the need to carefully prioritize is growing ever more obvious. Eddie Howe recognized the size of the journey remaining. “When you're involved a club of this size, the pressures are big. Every moment's pivotal. We have work to do in the Premier League. We are in the League Cup last four, we want to progress in the Europe and perform in the FA Cup. “The direction is in the correct path, but we have a great deal of work to do to transform into the regularly winning side we aspire to be. Our capacity to put sequences of victories has deserted us so far. “The task is to attain those heights we are aware we're able to reach. My feeling is that the assurance we can do that is coming back. But now we have to show it. It ain't all doom and gloom in this moment, but the next few weeks will decide a lot.”
Followers of the Tyneside club are increasingly viewing their manager's squad as a fickle ally. On their day, they prove to be the very entertainers, producing high-octane performances. But, at other times, once-dependable figures like Sandro Tonali and his teammates simply do not show up. Exacerbating the frustration is a second-half approach suffused by a distinct tendency of chaos. Ahead of their Boxing Day to Manchester United, the facts paint a troubling tale: the team has dropped 13 vital Premier League points from leading positions this season and are without a shutout in 10 straight outings in every tournament. Securing a win at their famous stadium would constitute only their second-ever domestic success on the road this season. A Story of Two Sides: Optimism Among the Erraticism On the flip side, a loss has been tasted on one occasion in their most recent 6 league fixtures, and despite sitting in a modest eleventh spot, they remain a mere 6 points away from the highly-prized top four. Consider an impending two-part Carabao Cup last-four clash against the reigning champions and a decent chance of progressing to the European Cup knockout phase, and it becomes easier to appreciate the manager's guarded positivity. “Our issues aren't limited to issues,” stated the club's manager. “We have positives also. I am firmly positive right now. I know everybody else might have a different opinion, but my belief is we're making progress.” The puzzle remains: will this squad recapture – or perhaps eclipse – the heights of the previous campaign's Wembley triumph and European-qualifying finish? Managing a hectic fixture list complicates. Fatigue and Systemic Growing Pains The resulting fatigue may be the reason behind the failure to sustain a brilliant opening 45-minute showing against Chelsea, eventually surrendering a two-goal advantage to tie 2-2. Similarly, it could be the reason for a lackluster performance in a painful loss to local rivals the Black Cats, where the team appeared lethargic just days after a grueling Champions League excursion. Although on-field instruction is clearly Howe's forte, the relentless grind of twice-weekly matches has severely reduced valuable practice sessions. This slows the squad's stylistic adaptation to operating with summer signing Nick Woltemade leading the line, rather than the departed Alexander Isak. While immensely gifted, Woltemade has not shown the equivalent blistering counter-attacking speed or ferocious defensive work rate. Indeed, the team's once-formidable high press has occasionally failed. Injuries to vital engine the Brazilian midfielder have exacerbated matters, while big-money signings Anthony Elanga and the English midfielder have had difficulties adapting after their substantial moves. Shape Questions and Injury Woes If a move to a back three could theoretically help the cause, a worsening backline injury list renders that problematic. First-choice defenders will be absent for the next crucial fixtures, further testing the squad's resilience. When playing at their high-tempo best, they appear almost unplayable. The issue is sustaining that level for the full 90 minutes. The go-to plan B of dropping deep into a deep-lying defensive shape has sometimes been counterproductive. “That match descended into anarchic at two-all,” conceded the coach. “But the intention was trying to win. We always try to win.” The Way Ahead: Pragmatism What appears required is a balanced approach – with better ball retention, a midfield capable of controlling the tempo, and a pragmatic willingness to sometimes settle for a point. Yet, a desire to compete on every fronts is testing thin squad resources to their limit. This might seem sacrilegious to some, but a different strategy in the cup competitions earlier could have eased the present fixture congestion. With vital European and Premier League matches on the agenda, the need to carefully prioritize is growing ever more obvious. Eddie Howe recognized the size of the journey remaining. “When you're involved a club of this size, the pressures are big. Every moment's pivotal. We have work to do in the Premier League. We are in the League Cup last four, we want to progress in the Europe and perform in the FA Cup. “The direction is in the correct path, but we have a great deal of work to do to transform into the regularly winning side we aspire to be. Our capacity to put sequences of victories has deserted us so far. “The task is to attain those heights we are aware we're able to reach. My feeling is that the assurance we can do that is coming back. But now we have to show it. It ain't all doom and gloom in this moment, but the next few weeks will decide a lot.”