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Eddie Howe is not prone to histrionics or grand public statements. So by his standards, his media briefing following the weekend's 3-1 defeat counts as a angry tirade. His side scored first but the opposition took the lead by half-time, while also hitting the post and seeing a spot-kick overturned by VAR, prompting Howe to execute a triple change at the break.

“That was the frustrating thing about the first half,” the coach said. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I believe that was a reflection of where we were in that moment in the game and it's extremely uncommon for me to feel that way. Actually, I cannot recall having done so since I’ve been head coach of the club, therefore I believed the team needed some shaking up at the break. This explains why I did those decisions.”

Three key players all came off at half-time and Newcastle managed to steady somewhat in the second half, without ever really looking like they might fight back into the game against an opponent that had secured just a single victory of their previous nine league matches. Considering how packed the centre of the table is, with a mere three-point gap dividing third from 11th, and a nine-point margin between the upper and lower ranks, a sequence of 12 points from 10 games has not left Newcastle adrift but, equally, they must not end the campaign in 13th.

The Problem of Expectations

The problem to an extent is one of public view. With the Saudi PIF, Newcastle have the richest backers in the world. The assumption when the PIF acquired 80% of the team in 2021 was that it would bring a transformative effect, as the former Chelsea owner had at Chelsea or the City Group did at the Etihad. The difference is that both of those investors assumed control before the advent of FFP rules (and the current charges against City relate to whether they violated those guidelines once they were implemented).

Financial restrictions limit the capacity of owners, no matter how wealthy, to spend money on their squads and therefore likely might have slowed any Saudi attempt to elevate the team to the level of City. But there is no need for the club's spending to have been quite as cautious as it has; they might have spent more and stayed inside the limit – or just accepted a relatively meagre European penalty since their major issue is more with the European than the Premier League regulation.

Stadium Investment and PSR Rules

Besides which, infrastructure spending is exempted from PSR calculations; the simplest way to raise income to create more PSR flexibility would be to extend or renovate the stadium. Considering the site of the home ground, with listed buildings on two sides, in reality that likely means constructing an completely new venue. There was talk in spring of possibly undertaking the short move to Leazes Park – opposition from local groups could surely have been surmounted with a promise to create a new park on the existing stadium site – but there has been any progress on that proposal. There has occurred substantial retrenchment from the PIF on a range of projects as it shifts focus on local investments; the approach to the football club appears completely in keeping with that strategic shift.

Player Sales Situation

The Alexander Isak saga was born of that tension. A bolder leadership might have portrayed his sale as necessary to free up capital for additional spending; rather there was a unsuccessful effort to keep him. This resulted in the team started the campaign amid a feeling of frustration even with the acquisitions of Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Anthony Elanga. The start was mixed: one win in their first six fixtures.

But it appeared a corner had been turned. They had won five in six prior to Sunday, a streak that featured convincing wins of Union Saint-Gilloise and Benfica in the Champions League. That’s why the display against West Ham was so surprising. The issue perhaps is that Newcastle’s approach is very aggressive, very high-octane; a minor decrease in intensity can have profound effects. Perhaps the pressure of domestic, European and Carabao Cup competition, five fixtures in a fortnight, had taken its toll. The German forward featured in all five games and appeared especially weary.

Reality of Contemporary Soccer

This is the reality of modern football. Managers must be ready to rotate. Howe has been unlucky that Wissa’s fitness issue has meant he is short of forward choices but, regardless of how valid the reasons, the weekend's showing was inexcusable –particularly after taking the lead at a stadium ready to criticize its own side.

The Newcastle boss will hope it was merely a temporary setback, one of those days when all players is below par at once, but if Newcastle are to secure the Champions League in the future, not to mention eventually launch an genuine championship bid, they must not be as unreliable as they have been.