Eddie Howe insists his tactical messaging is right as Newcastle blow another lead

If there is a God, we'll all manage to effectively erase this season from our memories when it's done. Unfortunately, that's highly unlikely, so this season, for Newcastle United fans, will be remembered as the one where we couldn't hold onto a lead to save our lives.

Ever since Eddie Howe took over the Newcastle hot seat, he's managed to bring back the attacking football that made us everyone's second team in the 90's under Kevin Keegan.

Every other week, comparisons would be made between Eddie Howe's Newcastle and Keegan's Entertainers, but this season, all of that attacking flair has completely disappeared.

In almost every game this season, Newcastle have laboured to create chances and failed time after time. When we have been lucky enough to put the. ball in the back of the net, we've often been limited to just one goal per game, which has seen us drop so many points from winning positions.

Eddie Howe insists he's not telling the team to sit back

Eddie Howe spoke about the phenomenon again today with NUFC TV, insisting that they can't pin down exactly what the issue is, but there's definitely something psychological affecting the team.

In his post-match press conference, Howe would go on to explain that the message from the bench hasn't changed, there's no tactical plan to sit on a one-goal lead.

"Those numbers (25 points lost from winning positions) are incredible. It's blighted our season.

”The fact we haven't been able to consolidate really good passages of the game, but also to go on and score more goals and continue to attack. That's not the tactical instruction we give the players.

"We don't want to go 1-0 up and change to a mentality of defending, but we've done it, so I can't say it hasn't happened. But then if you are going to defend, we have to defend better than we did.

”We gave them a few chances, but we still look vulnerable towards the end of the game, and that's hugely disappointing."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMHQkXTpAyQ

Something isn't right

This speaks of a much bigger problem, then. If the players aren't listening to tactical instructions and are going out there and doing their own sweet thing, then that's a much bigger conversation that needs to be had.

So either Eddie Howe's not being honest about the instructions, or he's lost the players. Which is it? Neither is a good look right now to be fair.

If we're being honest, it is likely just a mentality thing, and the players have got themselves into a rut and can't get out of it. It happens, just look at Tottenham this season. They've had more managers than points this season, and they still can't wake up.

We aren't sure how this issue can be fixed before the end of the season; in fact, we're not even sure it can be. It might just be in everyone's best interests to get the Men In Black neuralysers out and wipe this season out and start again in August with players who want to be here.