Eddie Howe's Newcastle have an identity crisis - Don Hutchison
Newcastle have been a shadow of their best selves this season, suffering at both ends of the pitch for much of 2025/26.
No one has dropped more points (27) from winning positions. We've conceded 20 times in the last 15 minutes of games and only picked up three points from losing positions.
Our home form has declined, seeing us lose seven of our last nine domestic games at St James' Park, and we've scored only 17 goals in 18 away games; the third poorest record in the league.
However, beyond those miserable stats, our overall identity as a team has fallen off a cliff, as Don Hutchison highlights in a recent interview.
Hutchison nails it on Newcastle's identity crisis
Don Hutchison has questioned where Newcastle United's mean streak has gone, feeling we've gone from a team that's 'horrible to play against' to a complete 'soft touch.'
Speaking of BestBettingSites, the Gateshead-born pundit discussed the issue and proposed a summer clear-out to refresh a stale-looking squad.
"The identity that Newcastle have had over the years - the best version of Newcastle is when they're horrible to play against.
"You think of Newcastle at St James' Park in their pomp, and it was Anthony Gordon, it was Isak, it was Murphy, it was Tonali, it was Bruno, Joelinton stepping on and tramping over teams. Now they've lost that and they've turned into a soft touch.
"They've got to get that back. And that, I think, will come from Eddie Howe having a clear-out in the summer and freshening things up."
It's a fair point to highlight, as we couldn't be further away from that all-action Eddie Howe side, who were mentally strong, high energy, physical and pressed from the off.
