Newcastle United are in a real slump, and the way out of it is unclear.
That slump continued on Sunday, with Newcastle United losing to Brentford as they remained winless away from home in the Premier League.
The Magpies have been worryingly inconsistent this season. While they are flying in the Champions League and dreaming of defending the Carabao Cup, the Premier League has proven to be a real problem.
Eddie Howe’s side are two points above the relegation zone, having picked up just 12 points from their opening 11 games. They are unable to replicate their cup form in the league, and it feels like the key problem is what is happening at the training ground.
Eddie Howe and his Newcastle United players in training.
Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images
Newcastle United are suffering from a lack of training
If anything, it is actually what is not happening at the training ground that is hurting Eddie Howe’s side.
Their schedule has been relentless this season, with Newcastle United playing twice a week since the middle of September.
Every few days, the Magpies are playing a different game in a different competition. It has been absolutely non-stop, with Newcastle becoming victims of their own success.
This is what they wanted after all. They wanted to return to the Champions League. They also want to challenge for honours again, which is why Howe is taking the Carabao Cup seriously yet again.
MORE NEWCASTLE STORIES
And so he should, because watching Newcastle United win it in March 2025 was a life-affirming moment for every Toon supporter. Why wouldn’t you want to repeat that?!
But this success comes at a cost. With Newcastle playing in so many games, they have less time to work on the training ground. Howe is not able to work as closely with his players and ensure they are tactically perfect for each game.
That is costing them in the Premier League.
Newcastle United players cannot solely rely on Eddie Howe
Howe is a genius coach. He is unrivalled when it comes to player improvement, with Jack Wilshere recently ranking Howe above Arsene Wenger in that department.
The Newcastle United squad are lucky to have Howe, but they cannot be solely reliant on him.
That is how it feels at the moment, with the Toon players seemingly unaware of how to deliver a winning performance on the road in the Premier League without day after day of coaching.
They need to stand up and be counted, rather than hide behind the manager’s coaching expertise.