Eddie Howe learns seven painful lessons the hard way BUT responds in the very best way | OneFootball

Eddie Howe and his team returned from Bournemouth with a point on Sunday.

A forgettable match.

However, an away point against a team in great form, who are continuing on from how they performed for most of last season under Andoni Iraola.

For many Newcastle United fans and of course those in the media, this was a game where Newcastle could and should have got all three points.

Surely if Eddie Howe hadn’t changed seven of his ten outfield players, Newcastle United would definitely have had the extra quality that would have brought a victory.

That isn’t my theory or reckoning, just what I have seen and heard from others in countless places since the weekend.

Eddie Howe of course flagged up the fact that rotating his squad had been essential, in terms of protecting against unnecessary risk of injuries to key players.

More than that though, for me it wasn’t a case of making seven changes costing Newcastle United the win, it was Eddie Howe’s seven changes that prevented almost certain defeat and the loss of a valuable away point.

Let me take you back eight months in time…

Newcastle United were on a run of nine wins in a row in all competitions, Eddie Howe naming an unchanged team…

Newcastle team v Bournemouth – 18 January 2025:

Dubravka, Livramento, Botman, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Joelinton, Bruno, Murphy, Isak, Gordon

Subs:

Vlachodimos, Trippier, Schar, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Longstaff, Lewis Miley, Willock

Some 90+ minutes later, the winning run had ended in spectacular fashion, Bournemouth 4-1 winners at St James’ Park.

Under Iraola, the Cherries play a high energy style and like to make it a very open match, end to end. This is the kind of approach that Newcastle United would very much approve of, normally. United loving it when it is a very open game where their strengths can come into play.

However, that day at SJP it was Bournemouth winning the duels all over the pitch, the Cherries winning the second ball time after time. Iraola’s players simply quicker in movement and thought.

For some of us it wasn’t such a huge surprise that this match proved so tough. Bournemouth were on a ten match unbeaten run and maybe crucially, had the advantage of more time to prepare for this NUFC clash.

It was only 24 hours more as they had played a 2-2 draw at Chelsea on the Tuesday (14 January 2025), however, when that is in the context of Newcastle having only a 63 hours gap after winning 3-0 against Wolves on the night of Wednesday (15 January 2025) AND the Saturday 18 January Newcastle v Bournemouth clash is a 12.30pm kick-off.

The fact was as well, whilst it had been a 3-0 winning scoreline against Wolves, as the game went on it was clear United were looked physically second best, the energy levels rapidly dropping.

Which brings us to…

Newcastle team v Bournemouth – 21 September 2025:

Pope, Livramento, Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Miley, Willock, Woltemade, Murphy

So seven changes from the starting eleven against Barcelona.

IN:

Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Miley, Willock, Woltemade, Murphy

Trippier, Schar, Bruno, Joelinton, Barnes, Gordon, Elanga

Subs:

Ramsdale, Trippier, Lascelles, Joelinton, Barnes, Krafth, Osula, Elanga, Bruno

Eddie Howe learning seven valuable painful lessons the hard way.

That against a high energy Bournemouth who would love a very open end to end game against the same eleven Newcastle players who had ended a draining Barcelona match only 64 hours earlier, maybe changes were needed.

A case of playing a tight disciplined formation with fully fit end energised arguably lesser players in many cases, was a far better plan than sending out your first choices who had given so much against Barcelona.

Of course, it also helped that Eddie Howe now has recognisable squad of players. No offence but when you looked at the potential replacements he could have made in January for that Bournemouth match, it isn’t quite the same as bringing in Germany internationals Thiaw and Woltemade, the excellent Sven Botman, England international Lewis Hall…

The thing is as well, having assembled a Newcastle United squad, then why wouldn’t Eddie Howe be making use of it, especially only 64 hours after that Champions League draining game against Barcelona?

I know some starters against Barcelona were unavailable anyway, but if Eddie Howe had started all of the players he could have done who started that Barca game, then I think a Bournemouth side who had eight days to prepare for Sunday would have had far more legs, far more energy, and would have overwhelmed United.

By doing what he did, Eddie Howe helped Newcastle United pick up a massive away point, he very definitely didn’t cost NUFC two points.