Newcastle United’s terrible start to the season has seen them top a very alarming Premier League statistic.
The Magpies currently sit 12th in the Premier League table after 15 games played and hopes of European qualification are slowly dwindling.
Eddie Howe is expected to qualify for Europe this season but that now looks a tall order after a very poor start to the season.
Newcastle lost 4-2 to Brentford on Saturday afternoon which now means they have won just two of their last 11 Premier League games.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe looks on during the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Newcastle United FC at Brentford Community Stadium o...
Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Newcastle United are losing the ball too much
Newcastle continue to struggle with inconsistency this season, following up an electric draw to Liverpool with a terrible display against Brentford.
Alan Shearer criticised Newcastle’s attitude in games not against the ‘Big Six’, while Eddie Howe described the display as “cringe”.
A glance at Newcastle’s statistics this season shows they now rank as the worst team in the division in one key area.
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According to the Premier League, Newcastle have been dispossessed 201 times this season.
Not only is that the most of any club in the Premier League, but it is also a staggering 27 more times than West Ham in second place.
The big change Eddie Howe must make at Newcastle
Howe now finds himself under pressure at Newcastle and questions are starting to be asked about his future.
Newcastle’s biggest problem is they continue to struggle against teams when considered favourites. The best performances this season have come against the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool.
While that is a huge strength, Newcastle need to find a way of dominating weaker teams. Unfortunately that is not possible if the ball is given away so frequently.
Now three years into the PIF project, Newcastle will soon need to pivot to a team that can control and dominate matches, especially against teams perceived as weaker opposition.
The gung-ho style of play adopted by Howe means that Newcastle are often stuck in end-to-end games with no plan B. Newcastle need more control, and the first area that needs to be addressed is keeping possession better.
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