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Howe does Eddie transform Newcastle back into a Champions League side?
"Newcastle will be back because it’s one game a week. They don’t have European competition and the energy they play with, the physicality, with just one game a week. We will be trembling when we play against them."
These were the words of Pep Guardiola when asked about which teams could compete in the Premier League this season.
However, the opening two games conveyed that Newcastle have a long way to go before they're 'back' as they have been utterly unconvincing vs Southampton and Bournemouth.
Where has the intensity that made them so ferocious in 22/23 gone? Why are they losing so many duels? Can Sandro Tonali’s return reinvigorate the Magpies?
These are the important questions Eddie Howe will need to answer as the season goes on and, as the concerns increase, so will the pressure on the manager.
Pressing matters...
Last season, their injury crisis meant Newcastle had to abandon the intense high press that helped them clinch a Champions League spot just months before.
That press has been a huge factor in Howe’s success at Newcastle, especially at home with one of the league’s loudest crowds cheering every tackle.
It’s still extremely early in the season and we may see it return. After all, they were forced to retreat and stay compact defensively vs Southampton - playing with ten men for 60 minutes.
Howe could be waiting for players to get minutes in their legs and back up to speed with the physicality of the season as they recover from the rust of playing in Copa America or the Euros.
Not to mention that this was an injury-prone squad last season anyway.
Spending most games pinning teams back and creating turnovers, the intensity out of possession could've contributed to the incessant issues.
It's plausible that Howe has scrapped this tactic in hopes of having a more available squad in a football climate where there are more games than ever.
The issue though is that without this, Newcastle's attacking verve suffers.
They aren't a team that is good at controlling games or creating a lot of chances.
Despite collecting four points from their opening two games, both performances were more gritty displays of digging in and they were fortunate to escape the Bournemouth game with a point - VAR's intervention for Bournemouth's late 'winner' the latest in a long line of discussion points about the technology.
But there is the return of Tonali, and Howe will be hoping reintegrating the midfielder will bring some much-needed dynamism to that area of the pitch.
It also takes the pressure off Bruno Guimarães as the playmaker forced to drop deep to receiver the ball. Tonali's presence allows the duo to interchange.
A quiet transfer window won't help
In Howe's own words, this has been "the most difficult transfer window I’ve ever had as a manager."
Considering he used to manage a Bournemouth team with, at times, a very limited budget, this statement is remarkable.
The only signing to start at the weekend was Lloyd Kelly, with Dan Burn and Emil Krafth at centre-back. The first-choice pairing of Fabian Schär (suspension) and Sven Botman (injured) absent.
The chase of Marc Guehi continues as they saw the latest bid of £65m rejected for the England international.
Newcastle are in a precarious position with Guehi now though, as Palace will be well aware of how desperately Howe needs a centre-back. Of course, that allows them to up their valuation if needed as the window enters its final days.
Even if Guehi were to trade London for Tyneside, the club's position with PSR would limit their ability to recruit without further departures.
The need for a centre-back is a pressing issue with captain Jamal Lascelles also absent through injury, but Newcastle may have spent so long on the Guehi deal it’s neglected negotiations and moves to strengthen in other key areas, such as right wing.
Miguel Almiron has been a great servant for the club and Jacob Murphy is a handy squad player but if they are to aim for the Champions League again, you feel they'll need a forward with more quality.
We may likely see a player depart if Newcastle want to strengthen in this area.
Alan Shearer damningly expressed his concerns recently: "I hope I’m wrong, but I just get the feeling as if something doesn’t look right. There was a lack of energy, a lack of spark. Eddie is always about the energy, the press, I didn’t see any of that."
Crucially, there has been a lot of change in the boardroom this summer. The departure of co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi and the arrival of Paul Mitchell as sporting director have shaken things up.
After Newcastle’s fabulous Champions League win over PSG last season, Staveley thanked Howe on the pitch.
But with a new structure, things have changed and the close relationship the former Bournemouth manager had with the previous club’s hierarchy has gone.
No one can deny the stunning work Howe has done since coming to Newcastle. Taking them from the relegation zone to safety in his first season and building on that with a fourth-place finish the season after.
When he was first appointed, it was a sleeping giant of a club in desperate need of new ownership after years of meandering along under Mike Ashley.
Now, it is one with resources and a huge attraction for managers across the world - its stock has skyrocketed.
A season like the last one may see a new ownership looking elsewhere for another manager, regardless of the success of recent years.
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