Newcastle and Howe in crisis as Man Utd mimics exploit great Premier League leveller | OneFootball

Newcastle are now firmly in crisis and Howe is on the edge after defeat to Brentford leaves them as close to the relegation zone as Champions League qualification. Sandro Tonali will hope his innumerable suitors weren’t watching that.

On a day in which Manchester United eased to victory over 14th-placed Tottenham to maintain Michael Carrick’s 100 per cent record as interim manager with four wins from four and Everton moved seventh(?!) in a battle for European football with Fulham(?!), Brentford took similar advantage of what is proving to be an increasing leveller in the Premier League as those fellow in-form high-flyers at St James’ Park.

This was Newcastle’s 39th game of the season, the first of seven games in 21 days which will make or break their campaign and very likely decide Eddie Howe’s future at the club. It was Brentford’s 30th. Three Newcastle players – Malick Thiaw, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães – have already played over 2,700 minutes of football. Michael Kayode, Brentford’s most-used player, has featured for just over 2,300 minutes. European football is a blessing and a curse. Just ask Oliver Glasner.

While Keith Andrews and Brentford had a week to prepare for this game, Eddie Howe and Newcastle had two days after their defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. It showed.

Fast starts are typical of Howe’s Newcastle – it’s provocative, it gets the Toon people going – but the requirement to hit the ground running increases game by tiring game for a side that’s now lost more points (16) from losing positions than all but Bournemouth and West Ham (both 18) in the Premier League this season.

Sven Botman headed in for the hosts from a brilliant inswinging corner from Guimaraes after Harvey Barnes had come close with a neat flick from Jacob Murphy’s attempt from the edge of the box and Yoanne Wissa had an effort cleared off the line.

But they were always going to need more amid the threat that Dango Ouattara and Keane Lewis-Potter were offering on the break and thanks to what was some hugely impressive hold-up play from Igor Thiago, who granted Brentford territory and no little control in a half in which the visitors had 54 per cent of the ball.

You will do very well to see a better cross than Ouattara’s for the equaliser. The devilish whip ensured that the only Newcastle player slightly culpable from delivery to goal was Kieran Trippier for failing to close him down more effectively, and even he might get a pass given the winger swung the the ball in for Vitaly Janelt to nod in before most full-backs would expect, close to the corner of the box.

But it shouldn’t have been so easy to get through a midfield which was formerly famed for its energy but now looks to be present mostly in spirit. Sandro Tonali certainly won’t have boosted his chances of a move to Arsenal or any of his other numerous high-profile suitors with this performance.

He floated through the game as if he barely knew where he was, let along what he was supposed to be doing. A footballer whose game is so reliant on his engine – which allows him to pop up in unlikely and threatening positions in attack but then usually find himself in the right place at the right time in defence – has arguably suffered more than anyone as a result of all of the football, all of the time.

Thiago gave Brentford the lead from the spot after Newcastle’s midfield again parted to allow Ouattara to break away, cut back and set up Mathias Jensen, whose shot was prevented from going in by Jacob Murphy’s arm.

Guimaraes looked short of his best upon his return but dug deep to find the energy for a lung-busting run to force a penalty he went on to convert, but the waves of pressure we have come to expect from Howe’s side in previous seasons didn’t arrive in what was a relatively subdued St James’ Park atmosphere which turned sour after Ouattara capped a stunning performance with a goal.

Botman was weak under pressure from Thiago and Ouattara was granted far too much space to drill under Nick Pope after a lovely lofted pass from Jensen.

Boos met Howe and the Newcastle players at full-time as a run of three Premier League defeats on the bounce leaves them as close to the relegation zone as Chelsea in fifth and a likely Champions League qualification spot.

Club owners PIF have a decision to make. Howe has worked wonders at Newcastle, but things have never looked as bad as this and with such little hope of a turnaround.

El Sackico on Tuesday vs Thomas Frank’s Tottenham is followed by Aston Villa in the FA Cup and then an away trip to Manchester City sandwiched between away and then home legs in the Champions League play-offs against Qarabag in the space of two weeks. That gruelling schedule could easily mean Newcastle have nothing to play for come the end of February.

It’s a problem that Andrews, like Carrick, doesn’t have. They have the luxury of time on the training field to hone and develop their philosophies and tactics, and to plan for specific games. Newcastle play games, recover and repeat.

That won’t change under a new head coach, but the mood among Newcastle fans has shifted against Howe more than ever before, and the combination of that, a possible new-manager bounce and a move to a style of play based more around control, conducive to saving the players’ legs, makes a change in the dugout a hugely tempting proposition.