What if Eddie Howe did this next – How would you feel?

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·22 de setembro de 2024

What if Eddie Howe did this next – How would you feel?

Eddie Howe watched on as Newcastle United were completely outplayed in the first half at Craven Cottage.

As soon as Fulham scored in the fourth minute, the visitors looked like a team desperately trying to get to the break without too much more damage done.

Vídeos OneFootball

Another goal added midway through that opening 45 minutes and it could have been far worse.

Eddie Howe got the team in at the break, made a couple of subs, gave his chat, changed formation, tactics, whatever.

Newcastle United came out looking a far better team, not brilliant, but at least matched Fulham in the second half. Fulham still deserved to win of course after that dismal first half. However, Eddie Howe clearly improved things at the break with his changes and if Fabian Schar hadn’t got it badly wrong when gifted the chance to make it 2-2, Newcastle United would surely have ended up with a point, possibly even fluking a win, as no doubt Fulham would have been devastated when missing the chance to really take the game away from Newcastle in that opening half.

The post-match reaction was all too predictable, with a lot of criticism that was deserved, as well as a lot of nonsense that was over the top, difficult to tell with this kind of stuff whether they are really Newcastle United fans, or trolls/mackems.

The big question for me, is how would you feel if Eddie Howe did this next?

What if Eddie Howe and his team went undefeated at St James’ Park for the next eight months?

What if Eddie Howe and Newcastle United won 10 of their next 17 away games, losing only six of them?

What if Eddie Howe and his players won 15 of their next 26 matches and lost only six of them?

So, what would your reaction be to Eddie Howe then?

I take it most of you have realised where this is heading.

These three ‘What ifs…’ are actually what has actually happened going back these past eight or nine months.

Manchester City are the only team to have won at St James’ Park in 2024, even in that January game Newcastle bounced back from going behind to then lead 2-1, only for then a tiring NUFC who were down to the bare bones finally undone when the quality of Kevin de Bruyne and others were unleashed fresh from the bench, the Belgian scoring a brilliant goal with 16 minutes to go and then an even better assist in added time.

It is actually only two defeats at home in 13 months in domestic football for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United, in that time period NUFC have won at home against Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Villa, Tottenham (twice), Man Utd and many others.

In these past 26 matches (all competitions), the only games Eddie Howe and Newcastle United have lost, are against Man City, Arsenal, Man U, Palace, Chelsea and now Fulham. Those six losses in over eight months all away from home with four of them at ‘big six’ clubs, at Palace who were absolutely flying at the time, plus now at Fulham, that latest defeat following five wins in a row at Craven Cottage before yesterday.

None of this is meant to claim that yesterday’s first half was anything but a shocker, nor is it meant to deny that the handful of games played so far this season, Newcastle United are still yet to really get going. We haven’t been terrible all six matches though either, Newcastle United have been poor in some long stretches in these half dozen games but they have played well at times and produced a number of moments of real quality, however, of course those played well at times’ spells need to grow significantly longer and more often.

My message

My message, my view, is that Eddie Howe and this group of Newcastle United players have easily built up more than enough goodwill over these past months, across 2024, indeed of course, way back to 2021 when Eddie Howe came in and not only saved us from certain relegation, but also somehow instantly turned NUFC into the third best team in the Premier League with those results in the second half of the 2021/22 season.

So in Eddie Howe we trust to find the answers, why wouldn’t you after everything he has done for our football club and ourselves as fans?

Fulham 3 Newcastle 1 – Saturday 21 September 3pm

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Barnes 46

Fulham:

Jimenez 5, Smith-Rowe 22, Nelson 90+2

(Half-time stats in brackets)

Possession was Newcastle 61% (60%) Fulham 39% (40%)

Total shots were Newcastle 15 (4) Fulham 22 (13)

Shots on target were Newcastle 4 (1) Fulham 11 (7)