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The Newcastle manager isn't typically prone to histrionics or grand media statements. Based on his usual demeanor, his press conference following Sunday’s 3-1 defeat qualifies as a angry tirade. Newcastle scored first but West Ham were ahead by half-time, as well as hitting the post and having a penalty revoked by VAR, prompting Howe to execute a three substitutions at the break.

“The opening period was particularly irritating,” Howe stated. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I think this indicated of our performance level in that moment in the game and it's extremely uncommon for me to feel that way. In fact, I cannot recall having done so during my tenure as head coach of Newcastle, therefore I believed the squad required some shaking up at half-time. That’s why I made those decisions.”

Three key players were substituted at the interval and Newcastle did stabilise somewhat in the second half, without ever appearing like they might fight back into the contest against a side that had secured just a single victory of their previous nine league matches. Considering the congestion the middle of the standings is, with just three points dividing the top spots from mid-table, and nine points between the upper and lower ranks, a sequence of 12 points from 10 games has not placed the Magpies stranded but, equally, they cannot finish the season in 13th.

The Issue of Perception

The challenge to an extent is one of perception. With the Saudi PIF, the club possess the richest owners in the globe. The expectation when the Saudi fund bought 80% of the club in 2021 was that it would have a game-changing impact, similar to Roman Abramovich achieved at Stamford Bridge or the City Group did at the Etihad. The distinction is that those two owners took over before the advent of financial fair play rules (and the ongoing allegations against City concern whether they violated those regulations after they were in place).

Profit and sustainability regulations limit the ability of proprietors, no matter how wealthy, to invest funds on their teams and therefore probably would have slowed any Middle Eastern attempt to elevate the team to the level of Manchester City. But it wasn't necessary for Newcastle’s expenditure 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 given their major issue is more with the European than the Premier League rules.

Stadium Spending and Financial Rules

Additionally, infrastructure spending is exempted from PSR assessments; the simplest way to raise income to create additional financial headroom would be to expand or redevelop the arena. Considering the location of the home ground, with listed buildings on two sides, in reality that probably means building an entirely new stadium. Rumors circulated in March of potentially undertaking the nearby relocation to a local park – resistance from local groups might have been surmounted with a commitment to build a replacement green space on the existing stadium site – but there has not been any progress on that proposal. There has been significant retrenchment from the PIF on a range of initiatives as it refocuses on local investments; the attitude to Newcastle seems entirely in keeping with that strategic shift.

The Alexander Isak Situation

The star striker saga was born of that tension. A bolder management could have portrayed his sale as necessary to release funds for further spending; rather there was a unsuccessful attempt to keep him. That meant Newcastle began the season amidst a sense of disappointment despite the signings of several new players. The opening was indifferent: a single victory in their initial six games.

Yet it seemed a turning point had been turned. They secured five victories in six matches before the weekend, a run that featured demolitions of Union Saint-Gilloise and a Portuguese club in the European competition. This explains the performance against West Ham was such a shock. The problem maybe is that the team's style is very aggressive, high-energy; a slight drop-off in intensity can have profound effects. Maybe the strain of domestic, European and cup matches, five fixtures in a fortnight, had got to them. The German forward featured in each of those games and appeared particularly weary.

The Nature of Contemporary Football

This is the nature of modern the sport. Coaches have to be prepared to make changes. Howe has been unfortunate that Wissa’s injury has meant he is lacking forward choices but, no matter how reasonable the explanations, Sunday’s showing was inexcusable –especially after scoring first at a ground ready to turn on its own side.

The Newcastle boss will wish it was just a blip, one of those days when all players is off-colour at once, but if Newcastle are to qualify for the European competition next season, let alone one day mount an actual championship bid, they must not be as inconsistent as they have been.