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Newcastle United latest news: Sunderland completed a Premier League double over Eddie Howe’s side with a win at St James’ Park.
Hearing boos for Eddie Howe’s players as they made their lap around the pitch at full-time was a new feeling though. And one that may have shocked a few neutrals around the country.
However, in truth, they had been brewing for a number of weeks and were almost certainly born in the minutes after that defeat at the Stadium of Light in December. There have been boos at St James’ Park in recent times, but they had never been directed at individual players and with such venom as they were on Sunday afternoon.
Some sections of the home crowd applauded their team off, but a host of boos, particularly around the Strawberry Corner, highlighted that this could be a turning point. A year and a week on from Howe’s most famous win as Newcastle United manager, this defeat to Sunderland was, without a shadow of a doubt, the lowest moment during his tenure.
Long reads in the future may pinpoint this moment as the beginning of the end. It may simply turn out to be a bump in the road. But it didn’t feel that way.
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Sunderland were better organised at the back, had better and more fluid attacking movements. Newcastle United, meanwhile, were rudderless, predictable and tired.
Newcastle United and Eddie Howe’s biggest challenge
A two week international break and an FA Cup weekend means it is now three weeks until Newcastle United take to the field again. In that time, Howe and his players must find a solution to their problems.
His decision to start the club’s most expensive player ever out of position in midfield, whilst leaving a £55m striker on the bench has worked in recent weeks, but now must surely be questioned. As must their approach to squad building.
Time and time again their Plan A has been found out by opponents, so they revert to Plan B. Although they don’t really have a Plan B, it’s just really Plan A with different tools. If that doesn’t work, then it’s Plan C, or Plan A (v.II).
Newcastle United. Predictable to a fault.
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