Newcastle United identity crisis? | OneFootball

A strange start to the season for Newcastle United.

Six games played so far, with four wins, one draw and just the single defeat.

Newcastle United sitting in sixth place in the Premier League just three points below top of the table Manchester City, with Eddie Howe’s side having also progressed in the Carabao Cup, winning away from home against top tier opposition.

Yet, never really convincing in their performances.

Playing well in periods of the game but never really imposing themselves, as Eddie Howe’s side do at their best.

It just all feels a bit different at the moment.

The Eddie Howe mantra is ‘intensity is our identity’ but not this season.

Has something major changed?

I think this is a decent try as an overview of what we have all witnessed so far…

Over at The Athletic, Chris Waugh answering this question – ‘What is the current tactical plan? We don’t press, we don’t keep the ball and we’re incredibly easy to play through’:

‘That is what has been particularly concerning about the opening six matches: beyond unconvincing performances, what is Newcastle’s identity now?

The head coach is repeatedly citing conditioning issues in public, suggesting a lack of a full pre-season for Guimaraes and Gordon has affected their levels, but that does not explain why others appear lethargic. Newcastle at their best under Howe were intense; pressing high and smothering opponents with their superior fitness.

Whether Bunce’s introduction has led to a tweaked approach — in the hope that Newcastle gradually build into the season in the way Manchester City often do, avoid excessive injuries in the process and peak later into the campaign — is unclear.

The problem is that when Newcastle’s previously superior athleticism and physicality is removed, they simply are not good enough technically and tactically to finish in a top-six position. Tonali was bought to try to evolve the team by providing greater technical ability on the ball, but no further additions of his calibre have arrived since.

It feels like Howe is trying to develop the team’s style and attempt to prevent the kind of injury crisis that afflicted Newcastle last season, but whether this player pool is ready for that change in approach is questionable. More importantly, whether they are good enough to play another way is doubtful.’

I think for sure that full-on high press hasn’t been there this season so far and I saw plenty of comments from Newcastle United fans expecting that to change as the season went on.

Maybe it will, however, certainly with the Wolves and Fulham matches, these last two games, I don’t think there are any signs of this happening. United do still press at times but nothing like when they did it so effectively so often in the past.

Is it due to a belief that it can reduce the number of injuries, that the ultra-high Newcastle United press could have been chiefly responsible for that last season?

I am not convinced, as so many of the injuries last season appeared nothing to do with potential fatigue or over-exertion, indeed, many of them were freak ones, such as landing awkwardly, or nobody around them, As in the cases of Botman, Barnes, Burn and so on.