🔗 Share this article Bewildering and Enchanting The Magpies Pursue Remedy to Halt Turmoil Fans of the Tyneside club are progressively viewing their manager's side as an unreliable ally. At their brilliant best, they can be the very entertainers, producing breathtaking displays. However, on other occasions, once-dependable figures like their midfield linchpin and his teammates completely do not show up. Compounding this issue is a second-half strategy riddled with a pronounced element of panic. Before their Boxing Day to Old Trafford, the facts reveal a concerning story: the team has squandered thirteen vital top-flight leverage from winning situations this season and are yet to keep a shutout in ten consecutive matches in every tournament. Securing victory at their famous stadium would be only their second-ever league triumph on the road this season. A Story of Two Sides: Optimism Within the Inconsistency On the flip side, a loss has only come once in their last six league fixtures, and although sitting in a modest 11th place, they are a only 6 marks off the highly-prized top four. Add in an impending two-legged League Cup last-four clash against the reigning champions and a reasonable opportunity of advancing to the European Cup knockout phase, and it becomes easier to see the gaffer's cautious optimism. “It's not only about difficulties,” stated the team's manager. “There are positives also. I am firmly positive currently. I understand everybody else could have a opposing take, but I feel we are getting better.” The challenge persists: will this group recapture – or perhaps eclipse – the heights of last season's cup glory and fifth-place standing? Managing a packed calendar hinders. Fatigue and Systemic Growing Pains The resulting fatigue may explain the failure to maintain a stellar opening 45-minute showing versus Chelsea, eventually letting slip a 2-0 advantage to tie the game. Likewise, it could be the reason for a poor display in a damaging defeat to local rivals Sunderland, where the team seemed off the pace just days after a tough Champions League excursion. While on-field instruction is clearly Howe's specialty, the relentless grind of two games a week matches has severely reduced valuable coaching time. This hinders the squad's tactical adjustment to operating with summer signing their number nine up front, rather than the now departed their former star. Although hugely talented, the German forward lacks the equivalent blistering counter-attacking speed or intense defensive work rate. In fact, the side's once-formidable high press has sporadically broken down. Injuries to crucial engine Joelinton have exacerbated matters, while high-profile arrivals the Swedish winger and the English midfielder have found it tough adapting after their big-money transfers. System Debates and Injury Woes If a change to a back three could arguably help the cause, a full-blown defensive injury list makes that problematic. Important full-backs will be absent for the upcoming crucial matches, challenging the squad's depth. When playing at their high-tempo best, they appear almost unstoppable. The problem is sustaining that fervor for the full 90 minutes. The typical plan B of sitting back into a deep-lying defensive shape has at times proven counterproductive. “That game descended into chaotic at 2-2,” admitted the manager. “But we were trying to win. Our mentality is to always go out to secure the three points.” The Way Ahead: Pragmatism What seems necessary is a pragmatic solution – involving superior ball control, a midfield adept of slowing the pace, and a pragmatic readiness to occasionally accept a draw. Yet, a desire to challenge on all fronts is testing finite player resources to their breaking point. It may seem sacrilegious to some, but a more selective strategy in the domestic cups earlier could have eased the present fixture pile-up. Amid vital European and league games on the horizon, the need to strategically choose focus areas is growing increasingly clear. Eddie Howe recognized the magnitude of the journey remaining. “Being at a club of this size, the expectations are big. Each game is critical. There is progress to be made in the league. We're in the League Cup semi-finals, we aim to progress in the Champions League and do well in the FA Cup. “We're moving in the correct path, but we have a great deal of improvement to do to become the regularly successful team we envision. The ability to put sequences of victories has deserted us so far. “The task is to reach those heights we know we're capable of. My feeling is that the assurance we can achieve it is coming back. But now we have to demonstrate it. It ain't all doom and gloom right now, but the upcoming fixtures will decide a lot.”
Fans of the Tyneside club are progressively viewing their manager's side as an unreliable ally. At their brilliant best, they can be the very entertainers, producing breathtaking displays. However, on other occasions, once-dependable figures like their midfield linchpin and his teammates completely do not show up. Compounding this issue is a second-half strategy riddled with a pronounced element of panic. Before their Boxing Day to Old Trafford, the facts reveal a concerning story: the team has squandered thirteen vital top-flight leverage from winning situations this season and are yet to keep a shutout in ten consecutive matches in every tournament. Securing victory at their famous stadium would be only their second-ever league triumph on the road this season. A Story of Two Sides: Optimism Within the Inconsistency On the flip side, a loss has only come once in their last six league fixtures, and although sitting in a modest 11th place, they are a only 6 marks off the highly-prized top four. Add in an impending two-legged League Cup last-four clash against the reigning champions and a reasonable opportunity of advancing to the European Cup knockout phase, and it becomes easier to see the gaffer's cautious optimism. “It's not only about difficulties,” stated the team's manager. “There are positives also. I am firmly positive currently. I understand everybody else could have a opposing take, but I feel we are getting better.” The challenge persists: will this group recapture – or perhaps eclipse – the heights of last season's cup glory and fifth-place standing? Managing a packed calendar hinders. Fatigue and Systemic Growing Pains The resulting fatigue may explain the failure to maintain a stellar opening 45-minute showing versus Chelsea, eventually letting slip a 2-0 advantage to tie the game. Likewise, it could be the reason for a poor display in a damaging defeat to local rivals Sunderland, where the team seemed off the pace just days after a tough Champions League excursion. While on-field instruction is clearly Howe's specialty, the relentless grind of two games a week matches has severely reduced valuable coaching time. This hinders the squad's tactical adjustment to operating with summer signing their number nine up front, rather than the now departed their former star. Although hugely talented, the German forward lacks the equivalent blistering counter-attacking speed or intense defensive work rate. In fact, the side's once-formidable high press has sporadically broken down. Injuries to crucial engine Joelinton have exacerbated matters, while high-profile arrivals the Swedish winger and the English midfielder have found it tough adapting after their big-money transfers. System Debates and Injury Woes If a change to a back three could arguably help the cause, a full-blown defensive injury list makes that problematic. Important full-backs will be absent for the upcoming crucial matches, challenging the squad's depth. When playing at their high-tempo best, they appear almost unstoppable. The problem is sustaining that fervor for the full 90 minutes. The typical plan B of sitting back into a deep-lying defensive shape has at times proven counterproductive. “That game descended into chaotic at 2-2,” admitted the manager. “But we were trying to win. Our mentality is to always go out to secure the three points.” The Way Ahead: Pragmatism What seems necessary is a pragmatic solution – involving superior ball control, a midfield adept of slowing the pace, and a pragmatic readiness to occasionally accept a draw. Yet, a desire to challenge on all fronts is testing finite player resources to their breaking point. It may seem sacrilegious to some, but a more selective strategy in the domestic cups earlier could have eased the present fixture pile-up. Amid vital European and league games on the horizon, the need to strategically choose focus areas is growing increasingly clear. Eddie Howe recognized the magnitude of the journey remaining. “Being at a club of this size, the expectations are big. Each game is critical. There is progress to be made in the league. We're in the League Cup semi-finals, we aim to progress in the Champions League and do well in the FA Cup. “We're moving in the correct path, but we have a great deal of improvement to do to become the regularly successful team we envision. The ability to put sequences of victories has deserted us so far. “The task is to reach those heights we know we're capable of. My feeling is that the assurance we can achieve it is coming back. But now we have to demonstrate it. It ain't all doom and gloom right now, but the upcoming fixtures will decide a lot.”