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Eddie Howe is not given to dramatics or sweeping public statements. Based on his usual demeanor, his media briefing after Sunday’s 3-1 defeat qualifies as a angry tirade. Newcastle took an early lead but West Ham took the lead by half-time, as well as hitting the post and having a penalty overturned by VAR, leading Howe to execute a three substitutions at the half-time.

“The opening period was particularly irritating,” the coach said. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I believe that was a reflection of our performance level at that stage during the match and it's extremely uncommon for me to feel that way. In fact, I don’t think I have during my tenure as manager of the club, therefore I believed the team required some shaking up at the break. That’s why I did those decisions.”

Three key players were substituted at the interval and Newcastle managed to steady to an extent in the second half, without ever appearing like they could get back into the contest against an opponent that had secured just a single victory of their last nine league matches. Given how packed the middle of the standings currently is, with just three points separating the top spots from mid-table, and nine points between the upper and lower ranks, a run of 12 points from 10 games has not placed the Magpies stranded but, similarly, they must not end the campaign in 13th.

The Issue of Expectations

The challenge partially is one of public view. With the Saudi PIF, the club possess the richest owners in the globe. The assumption at the time the Saudi fund acquired a majority stake of the club in recent years was that it would have a transformative effect, similar to the former Chelsea owner achieved at Stamford Bridge or Sheikh Mansour had at Manchester City. The difference is that those two investors took over before the introduction of financial fair play rules (and the ongoing charges against Manchester City relate to whether they breached those guidelines once they were implemented).

Profit and sustainability regulations limit the capacity of owners, however rich, to invest funds on their teams and therefore probably might have hindered any Saudi attempt to raise Newcastle to the standard of Manchester City. But there is no need for Newcastle’s spending to have been so restrained as it has been; they might have invested further and stayed inside the threshold – or just accepted a relatively meagre Uefa fine since their big problem is more with the continental than the Premier League rules.

Infrastructure Investment and Financial Regulations

Additionally, stadium development is excluded from Profit and Sustainability assessments; the easiest way to increase revenue to generate additional PSR headroom would be to extend or renovate the arena. Given the location of St James’ Park, with listed buildings on two sides, practically that likely means building an completely new venue. Rumors circulated in March of potentially undertaking the nearby relocation to a local park – resistance from local groups could surely have been overcome with a commitment to build a replacement green space on the current ground location – but there has been any progress on that proposal. There has been substantial retrenchment from the PIF on a variety of projects as it shifts focus on domestic affairs; the attitude to the football club appears completely in alignment with that change of approach.

Player Sales Situation

The Alexander Isak saga was arose from that conflict. A bolder management might have portrayed his sale as necessary to release funds for additional spending; rather there was a unsuccessful attempt to keep him. That meant the team started the campaign amid a sense of disappointment despite the acquisitions of Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Anthony Elanga. The opening was mixed: a single victory in their initial six games.

But it seemed a corner was reached. They had won five in six prior to Sunday, a run that included demolitions of a Belgian side and a Portuguese club in the Champions League. That’s why the display against the Hammers was such a shock. The problem perhaps is that Newcastle’s approach is very aggressive, very high-octane; a slight drop-off in intensity can have profound consequences. Perhaps the strain of Premier League, Champions League and cup matches, five games in a fortnight, had taken its toll. Woltemade featured in all five games and appeared especially weary.

The Nature of Contemporary Soccer

That’s the nature of modern the sport. Managers have to be prepared to make changes. 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 performance was inexcusable –particularly following scoring first at a stadium primed to turn on its home team.

Howe will wish it was merely a temporary setback, one of those days when everybody is off-colour at once, but if the Magpies are to qualify for the European competition next season, not to mention one day launch an actual title challenge, they must not be as inconsistent as this.