The United head coach saw his side lose 3-2 to Brentford on Saturday
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe and assistant Jason Tindale
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe and assistant Jason Tindale(Image: Getty Images)
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Eddie Howe is facing perhaps his biggest challenge as Newcastle United head coach since he guided the side away from relegation danger in 2022, just months into his tenure at St James' Park.
The Magpies can't stop shipping goals at the back, and are not scoring anywhere near enough at the other end. A deadly combination when it comes to success in football.
While the last quartet of games - Aston Villa, PSG, Liverpool and Man City - were the among toughest of tests most sides could face over the course of a season, never mind in a fortnight, Brentford at home was supposed to be a chance to get some confidence flowing through the side.
After 99 bruising minutes and a 3-2 defeat, that confidence feels as though it has run out, if not in the dressing room, then certainly in the stands.
Newcastle looked bereft of ideas against Keith Andrews' men, who were well organised and possessed players in Dango Outtara and Igor Thiago who could offer serious danger in attack.
And that was the marked contrast. United never really looked like troubling the Brentford goal, other than a rasping long range shot from Malick Thiaw which Caoimhin Kelleher saved.
United have scored just one goal from open play in their last four Premier League games, Anthony Gordon's well-taken effort at Anfield last weekend.
They drew blanks against Wolves and Villa, while the two goals against Brentford came from a corner and Bruno Guimnaraes' penalty.
They all count, of course, but at a time when where looking for some sign of a creative spark, it was alarmingly humdrum.
There was some second-half chaos caused by the lively Anthony Elanga and William Osula, but there remains little to no end product.
Twice Nick Woltemade did well to create space, strode forward, but instead of pulling the trigger, merely ran into trouble and lost the ball. He's not the only one.
If Newcastle fans are revelling in Alexander Isak's misfortunes at Liverpool, Brentford fans would have been cartwheeling down the Level 7 stairs after another no-show from Yoane Wissa.
The defensive frailities can and will be rectified when Howe has more players to choose from at the back, particularly Tino Livramento.
But finding the solution to Newcastle's creativity void is the big test for United head coach now - and he doesn't have long to fix it.