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Eddie Howe isn't typically prone to dramatics or grand media pronouncements. So by his standards, his media briefing following the weekend's loss to West Ham qualifies as a angry outburst. His side took an early lead but the opposition took the lead by half-time, as well as hitting the post and seeing a spot-kick revoked by VAR, prompting Howe to make a triple change at the half-time.

“That was the frustrating thing about the first half,” Howe said. “I almost could have taken anyone off and I believe that was a reflection of where we were in that moment in the game and it’s very, very rare for me to have that impression. Actually, I cannot recall I have since I’ve been manager of the club, so I felt the team needed some shaking up at half-time. This explains why I did those decisions.”

Three key players all came off at the interval and the team did stabilise somewhat in the latter period, without ever appearing like they might get back into the game against an opponent that had secured just a single victory of their previous nine league matches. Considering the congestion the middle of the standings currently is, with a mere three-point gap separating third from 11th, and a nine-point margin between second and 17th, a run of 12 points from ten matches has not placed Newcastle adrift but, similarly, they cannot finish the season in 13th.

The Issue of Perception

The challenge to an extent is one of perception. With the Saudi PIF, Newcastle have the richest owners in the globe. The assumption at the time the PIF acquired a majority stake of the team in recent years was that it would have a game-changing impact, as the former Chelsea owner achieved at Stamford Bridge or Sheikh Mansour had at Manchester City. The distinction is that those two investors assumed control prior to the advent of financial fair play regulations (while the ongoing allegations against Manchester City relate to whether they violated those guidelines after they were implemented).

Profit and sustainability restrictions restrict the capacity of owners, no matter how wealthy, to invest funds on their teams and therefore probably would have slowed every Middle Eastern effort to elevate the team to the level of City. But it wasn't necessary for the club's spending to have been quite as cautious as it has; they could have spent more and remained within the threshold – or simply taken a relatively meagre Uefa penalty given their big problem is more with the European than the domestic regulation.

Stadium Spending and PSR Rules

Besides which, infrastructure spending is excluded from PSR calculations; the simplest method to increase revenue to create additional PSR flexibility would be to expand or renovate the stadium. Considering the site of St James’ Park, with protected structures on multiple sides, in reality that likely means constructing an entirely new venue. There was talk in spring of potentially undertaking the short move to Leazes Park – resistance from community organizations could surely have been surmounted with a promise to create a new park on the existing ground location – but there has been any progress on that proposal. There has occurred substantial cutbacks from the PIF on a variety of initiatives as it shifts focus on domestic affairs; the approach to Newcastle appears completely in keeping with that strategic shift.

The Alexander Isak Situation

The Alexander Isak saga was born of that conflict. A bolder management might have framed his transfer as necessary to release capital for additional investment; instead there was a unsuccessful effort to keep him. This resulted in the team started the campaign amid a sense of disappointment even with the signings of Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Anthony Elanga. The start was mixed: a single victory in their first six games.

Yet it appeared a turning point was reached. They had won five victories in six matches prior to the weekend, a run that included demolitions of a Belgian side and Benfica in the European competition. This explains the display against the Hammers was such a shock. The issue perhaps is that the team's approach is extremely intense, high-energy; a minor decrease in intensity can have profound consequences. Perhaps the pressure of Premier League, European and cup competition, five fixtures in a fortnight, had got to them. Woltemade featured in each of those matches and looked especially fatigued.

Reality of Modern Soccer

That’s the reality of modern the sport. Coaches must be ready to make changes. Howe has been unfortunate that Wissa’s fitness issue has left him short of forward choices but, regardless of how valid the explanations, Sunday’s performance was unacceptable –especially after taking the lead at a stadium ready to criticize its own side.

Howe will hope it was merely a temporary setback, one of those days when everybody is below par simultaneously, but if Newcastle are to qualify for the Champions League in the future, not to mention eventually mount an actual championship bid, they must not be as unreliable as this.