Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side finally had an opportunity to release the handbrake on their Premier League campaign against a wounded Tottenham Hotspur, but it didn’t go to plan.
After ending their wait for an away league win at Everton on Saturday night and still buoyed from a battling win over Manchester City, victory would have taken the Magpies up to seventh and into the mix for Champions League places.
Newcastle have thrown several points away from winning positions this season
Howe is puzzled by the difficulty the team has at holding on to leads, given how Newcastle’s game management has been a key factor in the team’s success under him.
“We've historically been very good at seeing games out, navigating tough situations and managing the game,” he said. “We've got to try and refine that quickly because it's costing us important points.
“I think we're hugely frustrated with ourselves, really. That was a game where we had to work really hard for the first goal. I thought we were the dominant team and knocking on the door all through the first half.
“The goal came when it came and I felt then we were in a strong position having been relatively comfortable defensively to then concede the two goals in the way that we did, in the manner that we did. It's hugely disappointing because we pride ourselves on being better than that defensively.”
Cristian Romero’s goals were incredibly soft from a defensive perspective, but were indicative of a lethargy that seemed to engulf St James’ Park from the stands to the pitch. Newcastle showed glimpses of their best, the crowd responded in those moments, but neither were at their best. Meanwhile, talk of a new dawn in goal after Nick Pope’s recent high profile errors looks premature after Aaron Ramsdale’s inability to command his area at a critical time.
Something was missing from the start; when Newcastle find that extra gear at home, they can be nearly impossible to stop, as Spurs know better than most. Although Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon almost secured what could have been a critical win in the context of the entire season, the usual juggernaut simply did not arrive.
Tottenham offered endeavour and stood up for the fight, coming off the back of two damaging Premier League defeats of their own against Arsenal and Fulham. They were there for the taking and Newcastle can only blame themselves for not putting them to the sword.
There have been a number of opportunities to truly get this most inconsistent of campaigns up and running, but this felt like the best so far. Newcastle are no strangers to difficult runs of form under Howe; last season also saw them treading water into December, but a 10-game winning run into the New Year provided the springboard for them to win a first domestic trophy in 70 years and qualify for the Champions League.
While nobody is getting ahead of themselves 12 months on, wins over City and Everton, their first back-to-back of the season, felt like the start of something similar. With Burnley to come at home this weekend, and again away before the end of the year, as well as Chelsea at home before Christmas and the small matter of the Wear-Tyne Derby in less than a fortnight, games are coming thick and fast; wins can snowball and thrust teams into new possibilities. Newcastle are still just five points off the top four, but there is no escaping the feeling of failure after this result.
Howe’s game management should perhaps be questioned, too. He admitted his side were not as slick as usual as the game went on, but neglected to take off Joelinton, a culprit of poor possession play. Substituting Lewis Miley for Fabian Schar and inviting pressure late on did not help matters either.
“Technically, second half, I don't think we were particularly good, especially when we were leading,” Howe added. “When you're leading and you've got the advantage, one or two really quality passes in different moments can make the difference and we went the other way.
“We ended up turning the ball over and becoming in transition far too much in that period of the game. Ultimately, that's probably contributed to the fact that we lost territory and we lost the ability to get up the pitch.”
In isolation, seeing this game play out as it did would be at best frustrating and at worst a lesson for the future. But it is the latest chapter in a season full of issues stopping Newcastle from firing themselves closure to where they need to be. Until their energy, consistency and mentality truly improve, this familiar tale will only repeat itself.
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