Six tables to highlight why Eddie Howe is facing Newcastle sack | OneFootball

Eddie Howe is under serious pressure at Newcastle and these Premier League tables illustrate why…

Newcastle were booed off the pitch at St James’ Park on Saturday evening after a 3-2 defeat to Brentford.

Howe took responsibility for their recent form while reiterating that he still feels he is the right man to revive the Magpies.

But some fans already feel a change in necessary, and the tables make for uncomfortable reading for the manager.

Here are five to highlight the size of the job facing Howe in the short term…

1) The actual table

We don’t need to scratch the surface much to see why some are speculating over Howe’s future while Newcastle linger in the bottom half of the table.

One of the frustrating aspects of their lowly position for the Toon Army is that only a month ago, they were looking up at the top four. After scoring the Premier League’s latest ever winning goal against Leeds on January 8, they faced Wolves next with the possibility of moving back into the Champions League places.

However, exactly a month after beating Leeds, Newcastle are left in 12th, looking over their shoulder while facing the prospect of falling to 14th by 10pm on Wednesday.

2) The form table

Newcastle may sit 13th in the form table over the last six games. But changing the parameters to the last four games since the Leeds win illustrates a far more alarming slump.

The Toon took a point from a dour affair at rock-bottom Wolves. Since then… nothing.

Against sides in the European places, where Newcastle were a month ago, Howe has seen his side lose their last three, two at home against Villa and Brentford, with a 4-1 whupping at Liverpool in between.

3) Points lost from winning positions

The defeat at Anfield is just one occasion Newcastle held a lead only to blow it.

The same happened at the weekend against Brentford when the Toon failed to build on Sven Botman’s opener.

It is a habit that leaves Newcastle at a summit no club wants to scale.

Howe recognises the flaw: “It’s been a consistent theme for us this year, we’ve chucked away so many points from winning positions.

“It’s a really strange and difficult one for us to work out because, of course, scoring that early in the game the plan is to continue and play the same way and to not change anything.

“But psychologically I think there was a difference. It’s a head-scratcher for us. It’s happened too many times for it to be a one-off, something we’ve got to work on.”

4) The away table

Losing their last two games at home is a worry because Howe already knows he cannot rely on his side’s form on the road.

Click on the away option below for a stark illustration of their travel sickness…

Away from home, Newcastle have drawn twice as many as they have won and lost three times as many.

There may be little respite for Howe, with three of their next five away from St James’ Park, with trips coming up to Manchester City and Chelsea following a visit to Tottenham on Tuesday.

5) Possession table

Newcastle’s woes are certainly not due to a lack of the ball…

Howe has seen his side lose five of their last 10 in the league, with Newcastle having more of the ball in four of those defeats.

More damningly, in the three games they failed to score, against Manchester United, Wolves and Aston Villa, they had 67%, 66% and 60% possession respectively.

6) Open play goals

Newcastle are firmly in mid-table for goals scored (35) but despite being one of the more dominant teams in terms of possession, they are struggling to turn that into goals.

There is little concern about their efficiency with dead balls. Only Crystal Palace (60%) have scored a higher percentage of their goals than Newcastle (49%) from set-pieces.

But the Magpies are failing to supplement that supply line with goals in open play.

Finishing seems to be a bigger concern than creativity. Only six teams have created more big chances but only four sides have a bigger discrepancy between their actual goals (35) and expected goals (37.4).