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Eddie Howe isn't typically prone to histrionics or grand media statements. Based on his usual demeanor, his press conference after the weekend's 3-1 defeat qualifies as a angry outburst. Newcastle took an early lead but West Ham took the lead by the interval, as well as hitting the post and having a penalty overturned by VAR, prompting Howe to execute a three substitutions at the half-time.

“That was the frustrating thing about the first half,” the coach said. “Virtually any player could have been substituted and I think that was a reflection of where we were in that moment in the game and it's extremely uncommon for me to have that impression. In fact, I cannot recall having done so since I’ve been manager of Newcastle, therefore I believed the squad required a significant change at the break. This explains why I made those decisions.”

Anthony Gordon, Nick Woltemade and Emil Krafth all came off at half-time and Newcastle managed to steady somewhat in the second half, without ever appearing like they might get back into the contest against a side that had secured just a single victory of their last nine fixtures. Given how packed the centre of the table is, with just three points dividing the top spots from mid-table, and a nine-point margin between second and 17th, a run of twelve points from 10 games has not left Newcastle adrift but, similarly, they must not end the campaign in 13th.

The Problem of Expectations

The problem partially is one of public view. In the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle have the wealthiest backers in the world. The expectation at the time the PIF acquired a majority stake of the team in recent years was that it would have a game-changing impact, as the former Chelsea owner achieved at Stamford Bridge or Sheikh Mansour had at Manchester City. The difference is that both of those investors took over prior to the advent of FFP rules (while the current allegations against City relate to if they violated those guidelines once they were in place).

Profit and sustainability regulations limit the ability of proprietors, no matter how wealthy, to invest funds on their squads and so in that sense likely would have slowed every Saudi effort to raise Newcastle to the level of Manchester City. However it wasn't necessary for Newcastle’s expenditure to have been quite as cautious as it has been; they could have invested further and stayed inside the threshold – or just accepted a fairly minor Uefa penalty given their major problem is primarily with the European than the domestic regulation.

Infrastructure Spending and PSR Regulations

Besides which, stadium development is excluded from Profit and Sustainability calculations; the simplest method to raise income to create more financial headroom would be to extend or renovate the arena. Given the site of St James’ Park, with listed buildings on multiple sides, in reality that probably implies building an entirely new stadium. There was talk in March of potentially making the short move to Leazes Park – resistance from community organizations might have been surmounted with a commitment to create a new park on the current stadium site – but there has been any progress on that plan. There has been significant retrenchment from the PIF on a range of projects as it shifts focus on local investments; the attitude to the football club appears completely in keeping with that strategic shift.

The Alexander Isak Situation

The Alexander Isak episode was arose from that tension. A more confident leadership might have framed his transfer as necessary to free up capital for further investment; instead there was a vain attempt to keep him. That meant the team began the season amid a feeling of disappointment even with the signings of Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw and Anthony Elanga. The opening was mixed: one win in their initial six games.

But it appeared a corner was reached. They secured five victories in six matches prior to Sunday, a streak that featured convincing wins of Union Saint-Gilloise and Benfica in the European competition. That’s why the performance against West Ham was such a shock. The problem maybe is that Newcastle’s style is very aggressive, high-energy; a slight drop-off in intensity can have profound effects. Perhaps the pressure of Premier League, Champions League and Carabao Cup competition, five games in 15 days, had taken its toll. The German forward started all five matches and looked particularly weary.

The Nature of Modern Football

That’s the nature of today's football. Managers must be ready to make changes. The manager has been unlucky that the forward's injury has meant he is short of forward choices but, no matter how reasonable the explanations, Sunday’s showing was inexcusable –especially following taking the lead at a ground primed to criticize its own side.

The Newcastle boss will hope it was merely a temporary setback, one of those days when everybody is below par simultaneously, but if the Magpies are to qualify for the Champions League next season, let alone one day mount an genuine title challenge, they must not be as unreliable as they have been.