Fans are all saying same thing after watch Anthony Gordon first half Fulham

It was only ever going to go one of two ways. Either Newcastle United snapped out of their early season lethargy and started producing the performances to go with their positive results, or their luck would run out.

It was very much the latter at Craven Cottage. While Eddie Howe’s side may not have been ‘lucky’ so far this season, they’ve certainly lived something of a charmed life. This was a side that could have gone top of the Premier League last night, however briefly, yet it was also the same side which had been outplayed for long patches by Southampton, Bournemouth Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and Wolves.

Does that matter when they won three of those matches and drew the other two? Certainly not – but Howe was acutlely aware that peformances would have to improve. It was only one match, but at Fulham, it got worse. A lot worse.

Any side has good days and bad days, but it’s rare to see Newcastle looking as lethargic and off-the-pace as they were on Saturday. They were second best from the kick-off, allowing Fulham all the time in the world to carve out openings.

There has been a lot of speculation of unrest behind the scenes at Newcastle, but there was little sign of unity on the pitch in evidence at Craven Cottage.

Let’s be clear – Howe and this Newcastle United squad have credit in the bank. Plenty of it. They have achieved incredible things so far and can do so again. Even last season’s seventh-placed finish was remarkable in the sense that it was done with a threadbare squad and almost the same starting XI every match for three months, such was the depths of the injury crisis.

But they cannot live on past achievements. When things were going wrong at Fulham, who was rolling up their sleeves and trying to turn the tide? These are the game where you need your big players to step up, your elite to show just why they are showered with praise by pundits every week. And while no invdividual should take the blame, not many can feel they are above criticism after that performance.

If any player feels they could, or should, have had a big-money move to one of Europe’s elite sides over the summer, then they would do well to remember that they’ve not been marooned in some Premier League also-ran. This is Newcastle United, with European ambitions for this season and big, bold aims for the future.

Howe rightly says his side wins and loses together but the United head coach needs more from his star men. Maybe they will step up against Manchester City when they will be top billing in front of the TV cameras.

Whatever reason for the apparent malaise, it needs to change. And quickly.

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Blackflame

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