1 month ago
Eddie Howe is braced for forensic questioning by Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian owners astatine a Northumberland state location edifice successful nan mediate of this week. Matfen Hall sells itself arsenic a venue for remainder and relaxation but Newcastle’s struggling head knows that, pinch his early astatine St James’ Park successful nan balance, a scheduled “summit meeting” pinch nan club’s chair, Yasir al-Rumayyan, and different cardinal figures from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) could beryllium stressful.
“It’s thing we do each year,” says Howe, referring to nan yearly outpouring arena astatine which nan ownership quiz departmental heads. “But evidently things will beryllium somewhat harder for maine this time.”
Given 14th-placed Newcastle person mislaid 9 of their past 12 Premier League games and nan past 5 successful each competitions, Rumayyan’s ambition that they go nan world’s “No 1” looks much distant than ever. Here are immoderate questions Howe whitethorn look …
Why do you regularly place £124m worthy of attacking talent successful Woltemade and Wissa?
Nick Woltemade scored 9 goals successful his first 4 months aft arriving from Stuttgart for a grounds £69m past August and Newcastle person earned 20 points from nan 9 location convention games featuring nan German arsenic a No 9. In contrast, nan 8 matches astatine St James’ Park involving an replacement lone striker person produced six points.
Statistics tin deceive but they look beautiful compelling. Julian Nagelsmann, Germany’s manager, regards Woltemade chiefly arsenic a striker and is “bothered” that nan 6ft 6in subordinate now tends to beryllium deployed successful midfield aliases benched astatine Newcastle. Are Anthony Gordon and nan existent first-choice centre-forward, Will Osula, really much effective up front?
Wissa scored 19 Premier League goals for Brentford past season. PIF granted support for his £55m signing connected September’s transportation deadline time moreover though, astatine almost 29, he offered nary scope for resale profit. Almost immediately, Wissa sustained a reasonably superior knee injury playing for nan Democratic Republic of nan Congo and missed nan first half of nan season. Since recovering successful December he has seemed an eternal substitute. Why? And fixed that he has impressed arsenic a No 9 and left-winger for Brentford and nan DRC, is it worthy experimenting pinch him successful nan second role?
Why are you wedded to a high-energy type of 4-3-3?
Admittedly 4-3-3 served Newcastle very good erstwhile the Carabao Cup was won past play and successful achieving Champions League qualification doubly successful 3 years but pinch that system’s spearhead, Alexander Isak, sold to Liverpool for £125m past summer, does it still work?
Would a move to 3-5-2, 4-3-1-2 or 4-4-2 amended utilise Woltemade’s skills while camouflaging his flaws? Admittedly the “two-metre Messi” is simply a spot slow and not nan champion successful nan aerial but he is technically superb and blessed pinch nan knack of creating and converting chances. In other words, a guardant likened to Harry Kane by Gordon whitethorn thrive somewhat deeper, playing betwixt nan lines as a No 10. Why not effort Woltemade behind Wissa and possibly displacement to a somewhat much possession-based style?
Second-half burnout appears to be a problem for Newcastle, who person surrendered 25 imaginable points from winning positions this season – much than immoderate different top-tier side. Why person Newcastle conceded 19 convention goals aft nan 75th minute? Is nan high-intensity, hard-pressing, often counterattacking, accuracy to blame? Has athleticism been prioritised astatine nan disbursal of imaginative incision? The team’s moving statistic are amended than those recorded during nan past 2 seasons while virtually each different cardinal metrics person declined. Explain.
Have nan players stopped listening to their manager?
After nan caller home conclusion by Bournemouth Howe hesitated for 7 seconds erstwhile asked whether nan squad shared his “fire”. It was an uncomfortable region and, though he yet said nan players were “committed” and has subsequently diagnosed “confidence” arsenic nan guidelines problem, this position appears undermined by Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimarães. Trippier said he and his teammates “deserved to beryllium booed” aft nan Bournemouth defeat, and Guimarães, nan captain, precocious told Brazilian television: “I don’t cognize if immoderate players sewage a small complacent but, overall, we sewage a small complacent. It’s not a bully season.” Has Howe struggled to repair faultlines successful a dressing room arguably fractured by Isak’s acrimonious departure past summer? Is he nan correct head to preside complete a sizeable summertime rebuild aft nan expected departure of Sandro Tonali, Tino Livramento and Gordon and older stalwarts including Trippier and Fabian Schär?
Have you go group successful your ways? Are groupthink and spot problems?
With nan objection of nan Danish set-piece master Martin Mark, Newcastle’s coaching unit are mostly British and, successful galore cases, besides worked pinch Howe astatine Bournemouth. Is a new, perchance foreign, elder coach pinch caller ideas and an replacement mindset needed? And, if so, would Howe and his longstanding sidekick, Jason Tindall, beryllium prepared to spot “an outsider”?
Ross Wilson is nan 3rd sporting head appointed during Howe’s tenure. Howe ne'er bonded pinch Paul Mitchell, Wilson’s predecessor, and his exit past June near Howe and his nephew Andy Howe, who has a elder recruitment role, pinch a large opportunity successful squad refreshment. About £225m was spent connected Woltemade, Wissa, Anthony Elanga, Jacob Ramsey and a £4m indebtedness interest was paid for Aaron Ramsdale. All 5 person struggled and their costs has near nan nine perchance successful breach of European spending rules. Will they travel good? Howe demands a large opportunity complete transfers; is he consenting to let Wilson, whose knowledge of little “obvious” markets is extensive, to dilute it? David Hopkinson, Newcastle’s main executive, has implemented a “one club” accuracy but Howe restricts immoderate employees’ training-ground access. Is he prepared to clasp accrued integration?
