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Eddie Howe isn't typically given to dramatics or grand media pronouncements. Based on his usual demeanor, his press conference following Sunday’s loss to West Ham qualifies as a angry tirade. Newcastle scored first but West Ham were ahead by half-time, while also striking the woodwork and seeing a spot-kick overturned by VAR, leading Howe to make a three substitutions at the break.

“The opening period was particularly irritating,” Howe said. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I believe this indicated of our performance level in that moment in the game and it’s very, very rare for me to feel that way. Actually, I cannot recall having done so during my tenure as head coach of the club, therefore I believed the squad needed a significant change at half-time. This explains why I made those decisions.”

Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade and Emil Krafth were substituted at half-time and the team did stabilise somewhat in the second half, but never appearing like they might get back into the contest against an opponent that had won only one of their previous nine league matches. Given how packed the centre of the table currently is, with just three points dividing the top spots from mid-table, and nine points between the upper and lower ranks, a sequence of twelve points from 10 games has not placed Newcastle adrift but, similarly, they must not finish the season in 13th.

The Issue of Perception

The problem to an extent is one of public view. In the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the club possess the richest owners in the globe. The assumption at the time the Saudi fund acquired 80% of the team in recent years was that it would bring a game-changing impact, similar to Roman Abramovich achieved at Stamford Bridge or Sheikh Mansour did at the Etihad. The difference is that those two investors assumed control prior to the advent of financial fair play rules (while the ongoing allegations against City concern whether they violated those regulations once they were implemented).

Profit and sustainability restrictions limit the ability of owners, however rich, to invest funds on their teams and so in that sense likely might have hindered any Middle Eastern effort to elevate the team to the standard of City. But it wasn't necessary for the club's expenditure to have been so restrained as it has; they could have invested further and stayed inside the limit – or just accepted a relatively meagre Uefa fine since their major issue is primarily with the European than the Premier League rules.

Stadium Spending and Financial Regulations

Additionally, infrastructure spending is excluded from PSR calculations; the easiest method to raise income to create additional PSR flexibility would be to extend or redevelop the arena. Given the location of St James’ Park, with protected structures on two sides, practically that probably means building an completely new venue. There was talk in spring of potentially undertaking the short move to Leazes Park – resistance from community organizations might have been overcome with a commitment to create a replacement green space on the existing ground location – but there has been no movement on that plan. There has occurred significant cutbacks from the PIF on a range of initiatives as it refocuses on domestic affairs; the approach to Newcastle seems completely in keeping with that change of approach.

Player Sales Situation

The Alexander Isak saga was arose from that conflict. A bolder management might have portrayed his transfer as necessary to release capital for further spending; rather there was a unsuccessful attempt to retain him. This resulted in Newcastle began the season amidst a feeling of frustration despite the acquisitions of Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Anthony Elanga. The opening was mixed: a single victory in their first six games.

But it seemed a corner was reached. They secured five in six prior to the weekend, a run that included demolitions of Union Saint-Gilloise and Benfica in the Champions League. That’s why the performance against the Hammers was such a shock. The problem maybe is that Newcastle’s approach is very aggressive, high-energy; a minor decrease in intensity can have significant consequences. Maybe the strain of domestic, European and Carabao Cup competition, five fixtures in a fortnight, had taken its toll. Woltemade featured in all five games and appeared especially fatigued.

Reality of Modern Soccer

This is the nature of today's football. Coaches have to be prepared to make changes. Howe has been unfortunate that Wissa’s fitness issue has meant he is lacking forward choices but, no matter how reasonable the explanations, the weekend's performance was inexcusable –particularly after scoring first at a stadium primed to turn on its home team.

Howe will wish it was merely a temporary setback, an off-day when everybody is below par at once, but if Newcastle are to qualify for the Champions League in the future, let alone eventually mount an actual championship bid, they must not be as inconsistent as this.