Eddie Howe wanted a Newcastle ‘reset’. What he got was chaos
By Chris Waughand George Caulkin
For 11 minutes, Newcastle United’s international break “reset” had worked to perfection.
A penalty won inside three minutes, converted by Alexander Isak, and an early lead against West Ham Unitedat St James’ Park meant it appeared as if Eddie Howe’s side were heading towards a much-needed victory in the first match of their 10-game “mini-season” and attempt to build the momentum required to succeed in their quest for European qualification.
But this is not Newcastle United circa 2022-23, where everything was black and white (striped). This is Newcastle United, the 2023-24 version, and chaos reigns throughout, even when their matches stretch beyond 113 minutes.
From the moment captain Jamaal Lascellestweaked his knee in the 11th minute, the spectre of this entire season loomed large; a series of injuries and substitutions followed, makeshift partnerships were flung together, alarming defensive deficiencies in transition returned, goals flew in at both ends, before another dramatic late comeback.
This time, it was decisive. Whereas against Luton Townand Bournemouth, Newcastle could only rescue a point, this time Howe’s team claimed a victory from behind for the first time in any competition this season. Three goals inside 13 minutes — the third, Harvey Barnes’ winner, as the clock ticked to 90 minutes — ensured Newcastle had come from two goals down to win in the Premier Leaguefor the first time since March 2019.
“A brilliant advert for the Premier League,” was Howe’s description, though that assessment would surely have been markedly different had his side succumbed to defeat.
If Newcastle’s season has been wretched since winter set in, then the clocks moving forward may yet signal the onset of a brighter spring. If nothing else, this was beautiful and brutal bedlam.
But nobody at Newcastle will be getting too far ahead of themselves. For a start, the identity of the XI to face Evertonon Tuesday is as unpredictable as Newcastle’s form.
Lascelles (knee), Tino Livramento(ankle) and Miguel Almiron(knee) were all forced off — the severity of their respective issues has yet to be determined — while Anthony Gordonis suspended following his red card. Injuries have handicapped Newcastle throughout this season and will continue to hinder their push for top-seven status.
For Howe, in-game reshuffles have become far too frequent an occurrence; most enforced by injuries, they have been exacerbated by match situations. Newcastle have conceded far too many, far too often.
Initially, Howe’s substitutions against West Ham appeared curious. To compensate for the loss of Lascelles, he shifted his other three defenders to bring on Emil Krafthat right-back, fearing the opposition’s aerial threat from set pieces.
The result was a lack of defensive cohesion and Isak’s first converted spot kick was quickly cancelled out. Michael Antonio ghosted between Krafth and Fabian Scharfor his equaliser, Mohammed Kudusbenefited from Newcastle switching off from a quickly taken free kick for West Ham’s second, while Jarrod Bowenwas gifted the freedom of the Leazes End to slot in the visitors’ third on the counter.
Newcastle looked frail, nervous and uncertain. It all felt so frustratingly familiar. Had the reset been nothing more than rhetoric?
“At 3-1, the season is probably there and then, really,” Sean Longstaffsaid. Emotionally and physically, he looked exhausted. He was right, though; with Newcastle trailing by two goals, St James’ murmured its apprehension, if not ready to turn, then familiar with being bludgeoned by bad news.
A wearying campaign of huge peaks and troughs hung in the balance. “It was either come back or West Ham go seven points clear and we’re probably not going to catch them,” Longstaff said. “The subs were unbelievable and made a massive difference, but when this place is all together and it’s positive and the fans are with us, it’s such a tough place for other teams.”
Given the madness enveloping them, Newcastle could hardly trust the process in the belief luck would turn. They do trust each other, however. “You know when you’re playing in a game whether you’re actually on top or not and I always thought we were,” Longstaff said. “They scored from our mistakes-ish, but we had control. It was just about whether we could calm down and not let the mess that was going on around us force us into bad decisions. We were the only people who could get us out of that situation.”
Substitutions ultimately defined this match. While Howe’s had a dramatic positive impact, Krafth aside, David Moyes’ negative decision to withdraw Antonio and put on Kalvin Phillipsproved disastrous.
Gordon, who was sharp throughout, was quicker than Phillips in the area, forcing the West Ham midfielder into kicking him. Again, Isak slotted the penalty away, and suddenly the atmosphere shifted decisively.
“We’ve always been an emotional crowd and it’s been an emotional sort of season,” Longstaff said. “It can be a positive and a negative. The mood can get very anxious, but you also see when we were chasing the game — it was the same against Luton — that when we’re all as one, everyone kind of knows we’re going to score. It’s a weird feeling.”
Substitutes have now scored on a Premier League-high 13 occasions for Newcastle this season and those late interventions have been required, because Howe’s side have conceded three or more goals seven times in their past 15 games.
Against West Ham, Elliot Andersonand Lewis Hallprovided energy and attacking intent, while Barnes delivered a clinical edge. The winger ran on to Isak’s through ball and slotted between Lukasz Fabianski’s legs to draw Newcastle level.
“I think you want chaos when you’re chasing,” Howe said. “I had no issue with that chaos at that time as we needed to get chances to get back into the game.”
When Barnes let the ball roll across his body, ghosted away from Phillips and whipped a delicious finish into the right-hand corner of the net to win it, Howe and Jason Tindall, his assistant, punched the air and celebrated wildly.
Finally, Newcastle had actually completed a comeback. And now, what comes next no longer feels as bleak. Optimism abounds. Well, sort of.
What Newcastle really need is some respite — but what they have is nine games left and a chance to end with momentum and positivity.
“We’ve got to forget about everything else, put these matches into a block and make the most of them because we want to play in Europe again next year and to have more special nights,” Longstaff said. He took a breath. “There’s no way it can be the same next season.”
https://theathletic.com/5379080/2024/03/31/newcastle-west-ham-howe-chaos/
Eddie Howe wanted a Newcastle ‘reset’. What he got was chaos
By Chris Waughand George Caulkin
For 11 minutes, Newcastle United’s international break “reset” had worked to perfection.
A penalty won inside three minutes, converted by Alexander Isak, and an early lead against West Ham Unitedat St James’ Park meant it appeared as if Eddie Howe’s side were heading towards a much-needed victory in the first match of their 10-game “mini-season” and attempt to build the momentum required to succeed in their quest for European qualification.
But this is not Newcastle United circa 2022-23, where everything was black and white (striped). This is Newcastle United, the 2023-24 version, and chaos reigns throughout, even when their matches stretch beyond 113 minutes.
From the moment captain Jamaal Lascellestweaked his knee in the 11th minute, the spectre of this entire season loomed large; a series of injuries and substitutions followed, makeshift partnerships were flung together, alarming defensive deficiencies in transition returned, goals flew in at both ends, before another dramatic late comeback.
This time, it was decisive. Whereas against Luton Townand Bournemouth, Newcastle could only rescue a point, this time Howe’s team claimed a victory from behind for the first time in any competition this season. Three goals inside 13 minutes — the third, Harvey Barnes’ winner, as the clock ticked to 90 minutes — ensured Newcastle had come from two goals down to win in the Premier Leaguefor the first time since March 2019.
“A brilliant advert for the Premier League,” was Howe’s description, though that assessment would surely have been markedly different had his side succumbed to defeat.
If Newcastle’s season has been wretched since winter set in, then the clocks moving forward may yet signal the onset of a brighter spring. If nothing else, this was beautiful and brutal bedlam.
But nobody at Newcastle will be getting too far ahead of themselves. For a start, the identity of the XI to face Evertonon Tuesday is as unpredictable as Newcastle’s form.
Lascelles (knee), Tino Livramento(ankle) and Miguel Almiron(knee) were all forced off — the severity of their respective issues has yet to be determined — while Anthony Gordonis suspended following his red card. Injuries have handicapped Newcastle throughout this season and will continue to hinder their push for top-seven status.
For Howe, in-game reshuffles have become far too frequent an occurrence; most enforced by injuries, they have been exacerbated by match situations. Newcastle have conceded far too many, far too often.
Initially, Howe’s substitutions against West Ham appeared curious. To compensate for the loss of Lascelles, he shifted his other three defenders to bring on Emil Krafthat right-back, fearing the opposition’s aerial threat from set pieces.
The result was a lack of defensive cohesion and Isak’s first converted spot kick was quickly cancelled out. Michael Antonio ghosted between Krafth and Fabian Scharfor his equaliser, Mohammed Kudusbenefited from Newcastle switching off from a quickly taken free kick for West Ham’s second, while Jarrod Bowenwas gifted the freedom of the Leazes End to slot in the visitors’ third on the counter.
Newcastle looked frail, nervous and uncertain. It all felt so frustratingly familiar. Had the reset been nothing more than rhetoric?
“At 3-1, the season is probably there and then, really,” Sean Longstaffsaid. Emotionally and physically, he looked exhausted. He was right, though; with Newcastle trailing by two goals, St James’ murmured its apprehension, if not ready to turn, then familiar with being bludgeoned by bad news.
A wearying campaign of huge peaks and troughs hung in the balance. “It was either come back or West Ham go seven points clear and we’re probably not going to catch them,” Longstaff said. “The subs were unbelievable and made a massive difference, but when this place is all together and it’s positive and the fans are with us, it’s such a tough place for other teams.”
Given the madness enveloping them, Newcastle could hardly trust the process in the belief luck would turn. They do trust each other, however. “You know when you’re playing in a game whether you’re actually on top or not and I always thought we were,” Longstaff said. “They scored from our mistakes-ish, but we had control. It was just about whether we could calm down and not let the mess that was going on around us force us into bad decisions. We were the only people who could get us out of that situation.”
Substitutions ultimately defined this match. While Howe’s had a dramatic positive impact, Krafth aside, David Moyes’ negative decision to withdraw Antonio and put on Kalvin Phillipsproved disastrous.
Gordon, who was sharp throughout, was quicker than Phillips in the area, forcing the West Ham midfielder into kicking him. Again, Isak slotted the penalty away, and suddenly the atmosphere shifted decisively.
“We’ve always been an emotional crowd and it’s been an emotional sort of season,” Longstaff said. “It can be a positive and a negative. The mood can get very anxious, but you also see when we were chasing the game — it was the same against Luton — that when we’re all as one, everyone kind of knows we’re going to score. It’s a weird feeling.”
Substitutes have now scored on a Premier League-high 13 occasions for Newcastle this season and those late interventions have been required, because Howe’s side have conceded three or more goals seven times in their past 15 games.
Against West Ham, Elliot Andersonand Lewis Hallprovided energy and attacking intent, while Barnes delivered a clinical edge. The winger ran on to Isak’s through ball and slotted between Lukasz Fabianski’s legs to draw Newcastle level.
“I think you want chaos when you’re chasing,” Howe said. “I had no issue with that chaos at that time as we needed to get chances to get back into the game.”
When Barnes let the ball roll across his body, ghosted away from Phillips and whipped a delicious finish into the right-hand corner of the net to win it, Howe and Jason Tindall, his assistant, punched the air and celebrated wildly.
Finally, Newcastle had actually completed a comeback. And now, what comes next no longer feels as bleak. Optimism abounds. Well, sort of.
What Newcastle really need is some respite — but what they have is nine games left and a chance to end with momentum and positivity.
“We’ve got to forget about everything else, put these matches into a block and make the most of them because we want to play in Europe again next year and to have more special nights,” Longstaff said. He took a breath. “There’s no way it can be the same next season.”
https://theathletic.com/5379080/2024/03/31/newcastle-west-ham-howe-chaos/