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The Newcastle manager isn't typically given to histrionics or grand public statements. Based on his standards, his media briefing after the weekend's 3-1 defeat qualifies as a furious tirade. Newcastle took an early lead but the opposition were ahead by half-time, as well as striking the woodwork and having a penalty revoked by VAR, prompting Howe to execute a triple change at the break.

“The opening period was particularly irritating,” Howe said. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I believe this indicated of our performance level at that stage in the game and it's extremely uncommon for me to have that impression. Actually, I don’t think having done so during my tenure as manager of the club, therefore I believed the squad required a significant change at half-time. That’s why I did what I did.”

Three key players all came off at the interval and the team did stabilise to an extent in the latter period, but never really looking like they might get back into the contest against an opponent that had secured just a single victory of their previous nine fixtures. Considering how packed the centre of the standings currently is, with just three points dividing the top spots from mid-table, and a nine-point margin between the upper and lower ranks, a run of twelve points from 10 games has not left the Magpies adrift but, similarly, they cannot end the campaign in thirteenth place.

The Issue of Perception

The challenge partially is one of perception. With the Saudi PIF, the club possess the richest owners in the world. The expectation when the Saudi fund acquired a majority stake of the club in recent years was that it would have a game-changing impact, similar to the former Chelsea owner had at Chelsea or Sheikh Mansour had at Manchester City. The distinction is that those two investors took over before the advent of FFP rules (while the ongoing charges against Manchester City relate to if they violated those guidelines after they were implemented).

Financial regulations restrict the ability of owners, no matter how wealthy, to invest funds on their squads and therefore probably would have hindered any Middle Eastern effort to elevate the team to the standard of City. But it wasn't necessary for the club's spending to have been quite as cautious as it has been; they might have spent more and remained within the limit – or simply taken a fairly minor European fine since their major problem is more with the continental than the domestic rules.

Infrastructure Spending and PSR Rules

Additionally, stadium development is exempted from Profit and Sustainability assessments; the easiest way to raise income to generate more financial flexibility would be to extend or redevelop the stadium. Considering the site of St James’ Park, with listed buildings on two sides, practically that probably implies building an entirely new stadium. There was talk in spring of possibly making the short move to a local park – opposition from community organizations could surely have been surmounted with a promise to build a new park on the current ground location – but there has been any progress on that plan. There has occurred significant retrenchment from the Saudi fund on a range of projects as it refocuses on local investments; the approach to the football club seems entirely in alignment with that change of approach.

Player Sales Situation

The Alexander Isak saga was arose from that tension. A bolder management could have portrayed his transfer as necessary to release capital for additional spending; rather there was a unsuccessful effort to keep him. That meant the team began the season amidst a feeling of frustration even with the signings of Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Anthony Elanga. The opening was mixed: a single victory in their first six fixtures.

Yet it appeared a turning point had been turned. They secured five in six prior to Sunday, a streak that included demolitions of a Belgian side and Benfica in the Champions League. That’s why the performance against the Hammers was so surprising. The problem perhaps is that the team's approach is extremely intense, very high-octane; a minor decrease in energy can have significant effects. Perhaps the pressure of domestic, Champions League and Carabao Cup matches, five games in 15 days, had taken its toll. The German forward featured in all five games and looked particularly fatigued.

The Nature of Contemporary Soccer

This is the reality of today's football. Managers have to be ready to rotate. The manager has been unfortunate that the forward's injury has left him lacking attacking options but, regardless of how reasonable the explanations, the weekend's showing was inexcusable –especially after scoring first at a stadium primed to turn on its own side.

The Newcastle boss will wish it was just a blip, an off-day when everybody is below par simultaneously, but if the Magpies are to secure the Champions League in the future, not to mention eventually launch an genuine championship bid, they cannot be as inconsistent as this.