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Eddie Howe isn't typically given to histrionics or sweeping media pronouncements. So by his standards, his media briefing after Sunday’s 3-1 defeat counts as a angry tirade. His side scored first but the opposition took the lead by the interval, while also striking the woodwork and seeing a spot-kick revoked by VAR, prompting Howe to execute a triple change at the half-time.

“That was the frustrating thing about the first half,” Howe stated. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I think that was a reflection of our performance level in that moment in the game and it’s very, very rare for me to feel that way. In fact, I don’t think I have during my tenure as head coach of Newcastle, so I felt the squad needed a significant change at the break. That’s why I made what I did.”

Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade and Emil Krafth were substituted at the interval and Newcastle did stabilise somewhat in the latter period, without ever appearing like they might get back into the game against a side that had secured just a single victory of their previous nine league matches. Given the congestion the middle of the table currently is, with just three points dividing the top spots from mid-table, and nine points between the upper and lower ranks, a sequence of 12 points from 10 games has not placed Newcastle adrift but, equally, they must not finish the season in thirteenth place.

The Issue of Perception

The challenge to an extent is one of perception. In the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the club possess the wealthiest backers in the world. The assumption at the time the PIF bought a majority stake of the team in recent years was that it would bring a game-changing impact, as the former Chelsea owner had at Chelsea or the City Group had at Manchester City. The distinction is that both of those owners took over before the introduction of financial fair play regulations (while the current allegations against City relate to whether they breached those guidelines after they were in place).

Profit and sustainability regulations limit the ability of owners, however rich, to spend money on their teams and therefore likely might have slowed every Middle Eastern attempt to raise the team to the standard of Manchester City. But it wasn't necessary for the club's spending to have been so restrained as it has been; they could have invested further and remained within the threshold – or simply taken a fairly minor European penalty given their major issue is primarily with the continental than the domestic regulation.

Stadium Investment and PSR Rules

Additionally, infrastructure spending is excluded from Profit and Sustainability assessments; the easiest way to raise income to generate additional PSR flexibility would be to extend or redevelop the arena. Given the site of the home ground, with protected structures on two sides, in reality that likely means constructing an entirely new stadium. There was talk in spring of potentially undertaking the short move to a local park – resistance from local groups might have been overcome with a promise to build a replacement green space on the current ground location – but there has not been no movement on that proposal. There has occurred substantial retrenchment from the PIF on a range of initiatives as it refocuses on local investments; the approach to the football club appears entirely in keeping with that strategic shift.

Player Sales Situation

The Alexander Isak episode was born of that conflict. A more confident management might have portrayed his sale as necessary to release capital for additional spending; rather there was a vain effort to keep him. That meant Newcastle started the campaign amidst a feeling of frustration despite the acquisitions of Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Anthony Elanga. The opening was indifferent: one win in their first six games.

Yet it appeared a corner was reached. They had won five in six before the weekend, a run that featured demolitions of Union Saint-Gilloise and a Portuguese club in the European competition. That’s why the performance against West Ham was so surprising. The problem perhaps is that Newcastle’s style is very aggressive, high-energy; a minor decrease in energy can have significant consequences. Maybe the pressure of domestic, Champions League and cup competition, five fixtures in 15 days, had got to them. Woltemade featured in each of those matches and looked particularly fatigued.

The Nature of Modern Football

That’s the reality of today's football. Managers must be ready to rotate. The manager has been unlucky that Wissa’s injury has meant he is lacking forward choices but, regardless of how valid the reasons, the weekend's showing was unacceptable –particularly following scoring first at a stadium ready to criticize its own side.

The Newcastle boss will hope it was just a blip, an off-day when all players is off-colour simultaneously, but if Newcastle are to qualify for the European competition next season, let alone eventually launch an genuine championship bid, they cannot be as inconsistent as they have been.