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The Newcastle manager isn't typically prone to histrionics or grand media statements. So by his usual demeanor, his media briefing following Sunday’s loss to West Ham qualifies as a angry outburst. Newcastle took an early lead but the opposition were ahead by the interval, while also striking the woodwork and seeing a spot-kick overturned by VAR, leading Howe to make a triple change at the break.

“That was the frustrating thing about the first half,” the coach said. “I almost could have taken anyone off and I believe that was a reflection of our performance level in that moment during the match and it’s very, very rare for me to have that impression. In fact, I cannot recall I have since I’ve been head coach of Newcastle, therefore I believed the team needed a significant change at half-time. That’s why I did those decisions.”

Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade and Emil Krafth all came off at the interval and Newcastle managed to steady to an extent in the latter period, without ever really looking like they might fight back into the game against a side that had secured just a single victory of their previous nine fixtures. Considering how packed the middle of the table is, with just three points dividing third from 11th, and a nine-point margin between the upper and lower ranks, a sequence of twelve points from 10 games has not placed Newcastle stranded but, similarly, they must not end the campaign in thirteenth place.

The Issue of Perception

The problem partially is one of perception. With the Saudi PIF, Newcastle possess the richest owners in the globe. The expectation when the PIF acquired 80% of the team in recent years was that it would bring a game-changing impact, similar to Roman Abramovich had at Chelsea or Sheikh Mansour had at Manchester City. The distinction is that both of those owners took over before the introduction of FFP regulations (and the current charges against City concern whether they violated those regulations after they were implemented).

Financial restrictions restrict the ability of owners, however rich, to invest funds on their squads and so in that sense probably might have slowed every Saudi effort to raise Newcastle to the level of Manchester City. However it wasn't necessary for the club's spending to have been so restrained as it has; they could have invested further and stayed inside the threshold – or simply taken a fairly minor European fine given their big issue is primarily with the continental than the Premier League rules.

Stadium Investment and Financial Rules

Besides which, stadium development is exempted from PSR assessments; the easiest way to raise income to generate additional financial flexibility would be to extend or renovate the stadium. Given the site of St James’ Park, with listed buildings on multiple sides, in reality that likely means building an completely new stadium. There was talk in March of potentially undertaking the short move to Leazes Park – opposition from local groups could surely have been overcome with a promise to create a new park on the current stadium site – but there has been no movement on that proposal. There has occurred significant cutbacks from the Saudi fund on a range of projects as it shifts focus on domestic affairs; the approach to Newcastle appears completely in keeping with that change of approach.

The Alexander Isak Saga

The Alexander Isak saga was born of that tension. A more confident leadership might have portrayed his sale as necessary to release capital for further spending; instead there was a vain effort to retain him. This resulted in Newcastle began the season amid a feeling of frustration even with the signings of Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Anthony Elanga. The start was indifferent: one win in their initial six games.

Yet it appeared a turning point had been turned. They secured five in six before Sunday, a streak that featured demolitions of a Belgian side and a Portuguese club in the Champions League. This explains the display against the Hammers was such a shock. The issue perhaps is that the team's style is extremely intense, high-energy; a slight drop-off in intensity can have profound effects. Maybe the strain of domestic, Champions League and Carabao Cup competition, five fixtures in a fortnight, had got to them. The German forward started each of those games and looked particularly weary.

Reality of Contemporary Soccer

That’s the nature of modern football. Managers have to be prepared to rotate. Howe has been unfortunate that Wissa’s fitness issue has meant he is lacking attacking options but, no matter how reasonable the explanations, Sunday’s performance was unacceptable –especially after scoring first at a ground primed to criticize its home team.

The Newcastle boss will hope it was just a blip, one of those days when everybody is off-colour simultaneously, but if the Magpies are to secure the European competition next season, not to mention eventually mount an actual championship bid, they cannot be as inconsistent as this.