While last season’s struggles could be put down to the intense schedule and the injury crisis, such excuses no longer fly.
That’s not say there haven’t been mitigating factors, however. PIF did not spend over the course of the summer, even if their reasons for it are understandable given the fact any potential PSR breaches can result in a points deduction – something the club reportedly came close to back in June.
Newcastle still boast a huge amount of quality and are a match for anyone on their day. They have beaten Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham at home while drawing with Manchester City and Liverpool, after all.
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Still, the fact they are so inconsistent means it’s difficult to get too excited about them right now. Clearly, Eddie Howe and the players haven’t been helped by the lack of squad rejuvenation but comments after the 4-2 loss at Brentford are difficult to ignore.
The Newcastle United manager questioned the attitude of some of his players, while Alan Shearer followed suit when speaking on Match of the Day.
Newcastle players should be embarrassed at what Eddie Howe and Alan Shearer are saying right now
The squad cannot control the PSR rules or how much money PIF put into the team. No side in world football can absolutely control the results either, no matter how good they are.
What they can control, however, is their attitude.
To have that publicly questioned is a shame. Even during the difficult patches last season, their effort was rarely cast into doubt.
This now feels like a nadir of the Howe era. No one is demanding a team that wins, just one that tries on a consistent basis. Being able to raise your game at home against the top clubs is all well and good but the mark of a good side is their ability to go time and time again.
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Frankly, that is a quality to have evaded Newcastle since the 2022/23 campaign. Now, it feels like it’s becoming a major issue and one brought increasingly into the public eye.
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Though clearly it’s difficult to know exactly what is going on behind the scenes, the wild fluctuations in form come within the context of some fairly worrying reports.
Luke Edwards of The Daily Telegraph recently revealed that some of the club’s elite players have been unsettled this season, knowing they could get paid more at other teams who offer more realistic chances of qualifying for the Champions League.
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It’s impossible to say the inconsistent form is directly related to that but it does seem like too much of a coincidence to deny any kind of correlation, even if distant. There may be other explanations and perhaps it’s a mix of issues but the fact that key players are reportedly unsettled amid a wildly inconsistent season is difficult to ignore.
That does not excuse the players, however.
No matter their stance on their futures, effort and application are among the bare minimum of requirements.
Newcastle players should be ashamed of what Eddie Howe and Alan Shearer are saying about them
