🔗 Share this article Bewildering & Bewitching The Magpies Pursue Remedy to Curb Disorder Fans of the Magpies are progressively viewing Eddie Howe's side as a fickle ally. On their day, they can be the undisputed thrill-seekers, producing high-intensity performances. However, in other matches, previously reliable individuals like Sandro Tonali and others completely do not show up. Adding to the frustration is a late-game approach laced with a worrying tendency of panic. Ahead of their holiday fixture to Old Trafford, the numbers tell a sobering story: they have let slip 13 vital top-flight points from leading positions this term and are yet to keep a clean sheet in 10 straight games across all competitions. Earning a win at Old Trafford would represent only their second domestic triumph on the travel this season. A Tale of Extremes: Hope Amidst the Inconsistency On the flip side, a loss has been tasted on one occasion in their most recent six Premier League fixtures, and although occupying a modest 11th place, they are a only six points away from the highly-prized top four. Factor in an upcoming two-part League Cup semi-final against the reigning champions and a decent prospect of advancing to the Champions League knockout phase, and it is easier to understand the manager's guarded optimism. “Our issues aren't limited to difficulties,” said the team's manager. “There are positives as well. My glass is decidedly optimistic currently. I realize everybody else could have a different opinion, but my belief is we are making progress.” The puzzle is: will this group match – or perhaps exceed – the successes of last season's cup glory and fifth-place standing? Juggling a congested calendar complicates. Weariness and Systemic Teething Problems This fatigue may be the reason behind the inability to sustain a brilliant opening 45-minute performance versus their London rivals, eventually surrendering a 2-0 advantage to draw the game. Similarly, it is possibly the reason for a poor performance in a damaging defeat to local rivals the Black Cats, where the team looked off the pace just a short time after a grueling Champions League away day. Although on-field instruction is undoubtedly Howe's strength, the constant schedule of two games a week matches has severely cut into crucial training sessions. This hinders the squad's stylistic evolution to operating with summer signing their number nine leading the line, instead of the now departed their former star. While extremely skilled, Woltemade lacks the same electric counter-attacking pace or ferocious defensive work rate. Indeed, the team's signature high press has at times broken down. Fitness issues to vital cog Joelinton have not helped, while big-money signings the Swedish winger and the English midfielder have struggled adapting after their combined £90m+ moves. System Dilemmas and Injury Crises If a change to a back three could theoretically assist the team, a severe backline injury list makes that unlikely. First-choice full-backs will be missing for the next key matches, straining the squad's depth. At their ferocious peak, they seem virtually unstoppable. The catch is maintaining that fervor for the full match. The go-to plan B of dropping deep into a deep-lying counter-attacking shape has sometimes been self-destructive. “That game became disorganized at two-all,” conceded the manager. “However the intention was going for the victory. We always try to secure the three points.” The Way Forward: Pragmatism What seems necessary is a pragmatic solution – with superior possession retention, a midfield capable of slowing the pace, and a pragmatic readiness to sometimes settle for a point. Yet, a determination to compete on all fronts is pushing finite squad numbers to their breaking point. It may appear unthinkable to some, but a more selective approach in the cup competitions earlier could have eased the present fixture pile-up. With vital European and Premier League games on the horizon, the imperative to carefully prioritize is becoming increasingly clear. The manager recognized the scale of the task ahead. “When you're at this club, the pressures are big. Each game is crucial. We have work to do in the Premier League. We're in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, we aim to go through in the Champions League and do well in the FA Cup. “The direction is in the right direction, but we have plenty of improvement to do to become the consistently winning side we aspire to be. Our capacity to string together sequences of victories has escaped us this season. “The task is to attain that standard we know we're capable of. I believe that the assurance we can do that is coming back. Yet now we have to demonstrate it. It's not all bad right now, but the upcoming fixtures will shape a great deal.”
Fans of the Magpies are progressively viewing Eddie Howe's side as a fickle ally. On their day, they can be the undisputed thrill-seekers, producing high-intensity performances. However, in other matches, previously reliable individuals like Sandro Tonali and others completely do not show up. Adding to the frustration is a late-game approach laced with a worrying tendency of panic. Ahead of their holiday fixture to Old Trafford, the numbers tell a sobering story: they have let slip 13 vital top-flight points from leading positions this term and are yet to keep a clean sheet in 10 straight games across all competitions. Earning a win at Old Trafford would represent only their second domestic triumph on the travel this season. A Tale of Extremes: Hope Amidst the Inconsistency On the flip side, a loss has been tasted on one occasion in their most recent six Premier League fixtures, and although occupying a modest 11th place, they are a only six points away from the highly-prized top four. Factor in an upcoming two-part League Cup semi-final against the reigning champions and a decent prospect of advancing to the Champions League knockout phase, and it is easier to understand the manager's guarded optimism. “Our issues aren't limited to difficulties,” said the team's manager. “There are positives as well. My glass is decidedly optimistic currently. I realize everybody else could have a different opinion, but my belief is we are making progress.” The puzzle is: will this group match – or perhaps exceed – the successes of last season's cup glory and fifth-place standing? Juggling a congested calendar complicates. Weariness and Systemic Teething Problems This fatigue may be the reason behind the inability to sustain a brilliant opening 45-minute performance versus their London rivals, eventually surrendering a 2-0 advantage to draw the game. Similarly, it is possibly the reason for a poor performance in a damaging defeat to local rivals the Black Cats, where the team looked off the pace just a short time after a grueling Champions League away day. Although on-field instruction is undoubtedly Howe's strength, the constant schedule of two games a week matches has severely cut into crucial training sessions. This hinders the squad's stylistic evolution to operating with summer signing their number nine leading the line, instead of the now departed their former star. While extremely skilled, Woltemade lacks the same electric counter-attacking pace or ferocious defensive work rate. Indeed, the team's signature high press has at times broken down. Fitness issues to vital cog Joelinton have not helped, while big-money signings the Swedish winger and the English midfielder have struggled adapting after their combined £90m+ moves. System Dilemmas and Injury Crises If a change to a back three could theoretically assist the team, a severe backline injury list makes that unlikely. First-choice full-backs will be missing for the next key matches, straining the squad's depth. At their ferocious peak, they seem virtually unstoppable. The catch is maintaining that fervor for the full match. The go-to plan B of dropping deep into a deep-lying counter-attacking shape has sometimes been self-destructive. “That game became disorganized at two-all,” conceded the manager. “However the intention was going for the victory. We always try to secure the three points.” The Way Forward: Pragmatism What seems necessary is a pragmatic solution – with superior possession retention, a midfield capable of slowing the pace, and a pragmatic readiness to sometimes settle for a point. Yet, a determination to compete on all fronts is pushing finite squad numbers to their breaking point. It may appear unthinkable to some, but a more selective approach in the cup competitions earlier could have eased the present fixture pile-up. With vital European and Premier League games on the horizon, the imperative to carefully prioritize is becoming increasingly clear. The manager recognized the scale of the task ahead. “When you're at this club, the pressures are big. Each game is crucial. We have work to do in the Premier League. We're in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, we aim to go through in the Champions League and do well in the FA Cup. “The direction is in the right direction, but we have plenty of improvement to do to become the consistently winning side we aspire to be. Our capacity to string together sequences of victories has escaped us this season. “The task is to attain that standard we know we're capable of. I believe that the assurance we can do that is coming back. Yet now we have to demonstrate it. It's not all bad right now, but the upcoming fixtures will shape a great deal.”