Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has a chance to recalibrate now that the Premier League has put the brakes on for the November international break.
It has not been good enough this season. Ahead of the latest pause, Newcastle needed to get something from their trip to the Gtech. It didn't happen, and Keith Andrews' side emerged 3-1 victors and with Dan Burn sent off to boot.
The truth is that the Magpies need a reset. It was always going to be tough to match the form of last season, with Sandro Tonali and Alexander Isak charging an incredible winter winning run that led to triumph in the Carabao Cup. Isak has been sold, and the summer transfer window was a turbulent one.
Premier League 25/26 - Oldest Average Starting XIs
Team
Everton
Aston Villa
Newcastle
Fulham
Burnley
Data via Transfermarkt
But United are getting old. Too many starters this season ripened some time ago, and in this, Howe must work toward developing further the younger members of his squad.
Newcastle might have a somewhat elderly Premier League squad, but that's not to say they lack up-and-coming stars.
For example, injuries have kept Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall on the sidelines for much of the campaign. 22 and 21 respectively, the dynamic full-backs will be integral to the rekindling of Howe's system. Last season, Alice Talks Footy hailed Hall as "the best left-back in the league", and his fellow Cobham graduate as a "super impressive" up-and-comer.
Alexis Mac Allister challenges Tino Livramento
Alexis Mac Allister challenges Tino Livramento
Likewise, Lewis Miley has shown signs of development this season, growing into his skin in central midfield. The Geordie talent has impressed alongside Tonali and the all-action skipper, Bruno Guimaraes, and he could end up replacing a teammate in Joelinton, who has flattered to deceive at times this term.
Has the 29-year-old Joelinton exhausted his physicality? Undoubtedly, the Brazilian is missing some of his usual sharpness and intelligence in the middle of the park.
Joelinton in the Premier League (Tackle & Duel Success)
Season
25/26
24/25
23/24
22/23
21/22
20/21
19/20
Data via Sofascore
Joelinton has played so much football at Newcastle, no holds barred, that it's understandable he might be slowly winding down.
However, there's another Toon star whose form this season has been more concerning, for they have yet to reach their prime, and there is a worry that so many injuries have knocked this talent too far out of kilter.
"The future of this club" is now struggling
Newcastle have always been resilient and organised under Howe's wing, and even amid the frustration of wretched away form this term, Newcastle's xGA (expected goals against) total stands at just 11.1 in the Premier League, a more impressive figure than all in the division save for Manchester City and Arsenal.
But, even so, improvements need to be made in central defence, and the form of Sven Botman is admittedly becoming a concern for Howe as he waits for his star man at the rear to click into gear.
Sven-Botman
Sports writer Joel Bland actually commented on Botman's "embarrassing" effort to clear one of Brentford's notorious long throws at the weekend. The ball was cannoned in after the interval, Newcastle one goal to the good after Harvey Barnes' first-half finish, but Botman's tame clearance allowed Kevin Schade to nod home from close range.
You might call it a schoolboy error. When dealing with aerial danger, it is well-known to sweep the ball away, not divert it cross-box and into the melee.
In this, Botman failed in his duties, and newspaper Chronicle Live saw it fit to brand the centre-half with a 3/10 match rating, having been ragdolled by Igor Thiago all afternoon besides.
Botman needs to recover his former level of security and completeness at the back. He was redoubtable in front of Nick Pope in 2022/23, his debut year in England, keeping 11 clean sheets and conceding only 33 goals all season, the joint-best record, shared with champions Manchester City.
It was only at the start of the current campaign that Bruno described the Netherlands star as being “the future of this club”, along with Malick Thiaw, who swapped AC Milan for St. James' Park in a package worth around £35m this summer.
Botman-Gibbs-White-Forest-Newcastle
But Thiaw has outperformed his counterpart this season, and that having suffered regular injury issues of his own in Italy over the past several years. With Botman having spent plenty of time in the thick of the Premier League action this term, having started seven matches in a row, he should be sharper and more commanding at this point.
The fact that this is not the case is bound to be on Howe's mind, though the manager may feel that the reintegration of Hall on the left side of the backline could smooth out some creases and allow Botman to connect with a more natural wide fit that Burn, whose industriousness can only stretch so far.
Sven-Botman-Newcastle
This all comes with the addendum that Botman has indeed been ravaged by injuries in recent years, stripped bare by setbacks after that tremendous debut campaign in England's north east.
It is only natural he would take some time to rebuild himself to that one-time level, but Newcastle need quick results if they are to shape this campaign, and the £90k-per-week defender has entered the penultimate year of his contract, and he will need to convince PIF that they would be foolish not to extend his career on Tyneside.
But the Dutchman needs to improve - fast. His form has slumped in recent weeks, and he is paling in comparison to Thiaw beside him, the summer recruit very quickly establishing himself as the cream of Newcastle's defensive crop.