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Eddie Howe is not prone to histrionics or grand media statements. Based on his usual demeanor, his media briefing after the weekend's 3-1 defeat qualifies as a angry outburst. His side took an early lead but the opposition took the lead by the interval, while also striking the woodwork and having a penalty overturned by VAR, prompting Howe to execute a three substitutions at the break.

“The opening period was particularly irritating,” the coach stated. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I believe that was a reflection of where we were at that stage during the match and it's extremely uncommon for me to feel that way. In fact, I cannot recall having done so during my tenure as manager of Newcastle, so I felt the team needed a significant change at the break. This explains why I made what I did.”

Three key players all came off at half-time and Newcastle did stabilise somewhat in the second half, without ever really looking like they could get back into the contest against an opponent that had won only one of their previous nine league matches. Considering the congestion the middle of the table is, with a mere three-point gap separating third from 11th, and nine points between the upper and lower ranks, a sequence of 12 points from 10 games has not placed Newcastle adrift but, equally, they must not finish the season in thirteenth place.

The Problem of Expectations

The problem partially is one of perception. With the Saudi PIF, the club have the wealthiest owners in the globe. The expectation when the PIF acquired 80% of the club in 2021 was that it would have a transformative effect, as the former Chelsea owner had at Chelsea or the City Group did at the Etihad. The distinction is that those two investors assumed control before the introduction of financial fair play rules (and the current charges against Manchester City concern whether they breached those guidelines after they were implemented).

Financial restrictions limit the capacity of owners, no matter how wealthy, to invest funds on their squads and so in that sense probably would have slowed every Saudi attempt to raise the team to the standard of City. However there is no need for the club's spending to have been so restrained as it has; they might have invested further and stayed inside the threshold – or just accepted a relatively meagre European penalty since their major problem is more with the continental than the Premier League rules.

Infrastructure Investment and PSR Rules

Additionally, infrastructure spending is exempted from Profit and Sustainability calculations; the simplest method to increase revenue to create more PSR headroom would be to extend or redevelop the stadium. Given the site of the home ground, with protected structures on two sides, practically that likely implies constructing an entirely new stadium. There was talk in spring of possibly undertaking the short move to Leazes Park – opposition from local groups might have been surmounted with a commitment to create a new park on the existing ground location – but there has not been any progress on that proposal. There has been significant cutbacks from the Saudi fund on a variety of projects as it shifts focus on domestic affairs; the attitude to Newcastle appears entirely in alignment with that change of approach.

The Alexander Isak Saga

The star striker episode was arose from that tension. A more confident management could have framed his transfer as essential to free up funds for additional investment; instead there was a vain effort to retain him. This resulted in Newcastle started the campaign amid a sense of frustration even with the signings of Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Anthony Elanga. The opening was mixed: one win in their first six games.

But it appeared a corner was reached. They had won five in six prior to the weekend, a run that included convincing wins of Union Saint-Gilloise and a Portuguese club in the European competition. This explains the performance against the Hammers was such a shock. The problem perhaps is that Newcastle’s style is extremely intense, very high-octane; a slight drop-off in energy can have profound consequences. Maybe the pressure of domestic, Champions League and cup matches, five games in a fortnight, had got to them. The German forward featured in each of those games and looked particularly fatigued.

The Nature of Modern Soccer

This is the nature of modern the sport. Coaches must be ready to rotate. Howe has been unfortunate that Wissa’s fitness issue has left him lacking forward choices but, regardless of how reasonable the explanations, the weekend's performance was unacceptable –particularly following taking the lead at a ground ready to criticize its own side.

The Newcastle boss will hope it was merely a temporary setback, an off-day when everybody is below par at once, but if the Magpies are to secure the European competition next season, let alone one day launch an actual title challenge, they must not be as inconsistent as they have been.