The 'champagne problems' Eddie Howe must solve if Newcastle United are to sparkle

There was a feeling of the inevitable when Newcastle United suffered their first defeat of the season at Fulham on Saturday.

For all that he has been overwhelming positive during his pre and post-match assessments of games during his near three-year spell in charge of the Magpies, Eddie Howe has always been open and honest when his players have under-performed and Saturday. Along with trusted assistant Jason Tindall and the rest of their backroom staff, a full analysis of the performance and the reasons behind it will have began within seconds of the full-time whistle being blown. Yet there is a feeling, despite the positive results achieved in the opening month of the season, Newcastle haven’t been at their best and a defeat has been coming.

Howe, to his credit, delivered a damning verdict on his side’s performance during the defeat, saying in his post-match press conference: "It was a slow start and the first goal was a killer blow for us. I thought in the first half we were too reactive. We conceded a really poor first goal and whenever you go away from home and you give the opposition help and a stimulus, the crowd get in the game and the first half was really hard for us. Today was the worst we’ve played this season, especially first half. The other games have not been perfect but we’ve been really solid and resilient. I anticipated a strong performance today, but it was not there. Second half we chased the game effectively until the end but we need to reflect on it and analyse it.”

In reality, there was little else Howe could say after his players delivered a largely lifeless and error-strewn display at Craven Cottage. Key players are yet to find their rhythm, errors that seemed to have been eradicated have crept back into the Magpies game and it seems several players that were on international duty during the summer have struggled to find the energy levels required to carry out Howe’s preferred, intense game-plan. At this point in time, this Newcastle side is almost unrecognisable from the one that saw off competition from the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur to secure a fourth placed finish in the 2022/23 season and end the Magpies two-decade absence from the Champions League.

Even last season, when injuries decimated Howe’s squad and robbed the Magpies boss of the services of several key players for large swathes of the campaign, there were periods when Newcastle steamrollered opponents with unstoppable performances full of energy and intensity. There are probably a number of factors in the underwhelming displays so far this season, with the deeply disappointing summer transfer window leaving Howe short-handed in key areas and the failure to add a high-class centre-back and another forward options to the Magpies squad has left the United boss praying for good fortune on the injury front until the January window opens for business.

Howe, without question, remains the right man to take Newcastle forward and he should have the full backing of the St James Park hierarchy - but he should not be beyond criticism and Saturday’s display should be questioned. Now, six games into the new season, it seems the Magpies boss is still struggling to find his strongest starting eleven and changes are being made with every passing game. The left-hand side of Howe’s front three is proving to be an issue with Howe trying to find a balance with Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes both fighting for a place.

One part of the duo is facing up to being shifted to the right-hand side in what many would consider to be Newcastle’s starting eleven - and that means Jacob Murphy, a firm favourite of Howe’s, would likely miss out. Gordon’s current situation is a somewhat curious one - where the former Everton man seems to be struggling to find form after a summer dominated by transfer speculation and the disappointment of featuring for just a handful of minutes in England’s Euro 2024 campaign.

Lewis Hall and Lloyd Kelly are battling it out for a place at left-back and Kieran Trippier and Tino Livramento doing similar on the opposite side of the back four and although competition is healthy and should be encouraged, consistency in a defensive area is equally necessary if Newcastle are to rediscover the frugal approach that brought progress in Howe’s first full season. In midfield, where Howe possesses a whole host options, there has been an inability to find a balance and the high level of cohesion that undoubtedly lies within the heart of the Magpies side. Picking three from Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton, Sean Longstaff, Sandro Tonali and Joe Willock requires some brave calls and the expected return of youngster Lewis Miley from injury next month will provide another big call for Howe to make.

Given the talent at his disposal in such areas, there are, to use a phrase favoured by United CEO Darren Eales, ‘champagne problems’ - but they are problems Howe must resolve if he is to stop Newcastle’s season falling flat before it has even had a chance to sparkle.