Published 10 February 2026 8:08am GMT
Something needs to change at Newcastle United. That change is not a new manager. But it is the current manager changing his tactics to allow Newcastle to play more like a big team.
Following Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat by Brentford, there was an emotional response from Eddie Howe. The 48-year-old is an emotional character, which some at the club might find ironic given he is also regarded as sometimes being aloof.
But Howe did publicly question himself. On Monday, ahead of the crucial Premier League fixture away to Tottenham Hotspur, he clarified he still felt he was the right man for the job, but there was also the kicker that he would quit if he no longer believed that.
Absolutely no one at Newcastle wants that to happen. The view is, managers like Howe do not come around very often, and that he is not only talented but very hard-working and dedicated. He has the full backing of everyone, including the club’s owners. It is a great base to relaunch from and has been well-earned.
Howe’s response to pressure? Work even harder and while he was undoubtedly feeling raw after the loss to Brentford, which was met with boos inside St James’ Park and left Newcastle down in 12th place, it is said he is now calmer and totally focused on improving the situation.
But here is the point. There is a debate about how the team play, which is mirrored by how opposition managers regard Howe’s Newcastle. Howe is aware of it and is trying to adapt. Tactical changes are being worked on at the training ground.
Howe is thought to be working on tactical changes in training Credit: Owen Humphreys/PA
Newcastle still go out like underdogs
There first needs to be context. The fact is when Howe was appointed in November 2021, Newcastle were 18th, five points from safety, and staring at the prospect of relegation.
They had the January transfer window – the first opportunity to spend money following the Saudi Arabian-led takeover – and used it well. In came Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimarães, Dan Burn and Chris Wood, with Matt Targett on loan. Wood did not work out, but his signing damaged Burnley, who went down instead as Newcastle hauled themselves up to 11th.
The rest, as they say, is history: Champions League football, winning a first trophy since 1969 and consistently improving the squad. Good times. But one thing did not, really, change. And that was Howe’s approach to the way the team played.
Psychologically, it can be argued, Newcastle still go out like underdogs. They press high, they run hard, they get in and amongst the opposition, they try to get the crowd going. They rely on out-of-possession intensity, man-for-man aggression and running. A lot of running.
To execute this, a manager needs a big squad, to avoid running out of steam. To have two players for every position. Newcastle argue they have that, but whether they are all good enough is a moot point while they have had to navigate the difficulties of profitability and sustainability rules. Injuries have also hit hard in key areas such as defence.
Opposition managers have identified it. In the Champions League last September, there was one of the most visible examples as Hansi Flick, Barcelona’s head coach, stood in his technical area and urged his players to just keep the ball so Newcastle would burn themselves out. They did and Barcelona won 2-1. It was no disgrace for Newcastle and one of those goals was an outstanding strike from Marcus Rashford (who scored both). But it was still a loss.
‘If you keep trying to play like that then you have to recruit properly’
In a sense, Howe turned Newcastle into a Geordie Atlético Madrid – even if he is a far different character than Diego Simeone, the ultimate big-dog underdog. At times it almost feels like a throwback style of play, although even Simeone would struggle with it in the Premier League, where the football is more physical and more athletic than La Liga.
But even Simeone resorts to defending deeper at times while managers like Oliver Glasner and Antonio Conte sit back and counter-attack, which requires less energy and a lot less physical capacity.
Howe? It is, as one manager put it, “all guns blazing and if you keep trying to play like that then you have to recruit properly and make sure you are ready for injuries”.
No one doubts that Howe has done a brilliant job. But is it sustainable to play the way he has asked Newcastle to play if you are in charge of a team who want to compete on all fronts and have as many matches as they do?
So maybe there has to be an adaptation. Newcastle’s first-choice midfield is Bruno, Sandro Tonali and, probably, Lewis Miley, moving on from the running power of Joelinton. That is a very good trio, among the best in the Premier League, who are all comfortable in possession and want to play the ball through the “thirds”, as the coaches say. They are capable of gaining that level of control through ball possession as well as running power.
Sandro Tonali (right) and Bruno Guimaraes are among the best midfielders in the Premier League Credit: John Thys/Getty Images
The test for Howe is can he adapt as a coach, having helped take Newcastle such a long way already? The level of determination he shows, and his work ethic, suggests so. And it will be fascinating to see if there are tactical differences in the way Newcastle play in the coming weeks – maybe even against Tottenham – and whether what has happened actually emboldens Howe.
When, as a manager, a certain way of doing things has brought success, it is not easy to come away from that. But it is almost as if Howe needed this bad run to be braver and make changes, which it looks like he will do.
It is hardly a crisis and the fan noise, although not ignored, is certainly not shrill. It does not help that the new players – Anthony Elanga, Jacob Ramsey and Yoane Wissa in particular – have struggled to find their feet. But, again, that is not unusual with Howe. It takes time to adapt working for him and Anthony Gordon, not enjoying his best season now but in the England squad, and Lewis Hall, who may follow him, are examples of that.
If Newcastle had beaten Aston Villa in late January they would have gone fourth in the league, they were in the semi-finals of the League Cup, fourth round of the FA Cup and doing well in the Champions League. That was only two weeks ago. The big dip in form has come at the wrong time, but football can be fickle. It can quickly change. The question is: can Howe?
We have to give a raise to Isak. This make me disappointed more than lack of new signing. Make him the best paid player.