Fulham 3 Newcastle United 1, Premier League, Craven Cottage, 21/Sep/24 - True Faith

The package finally reached Craven Cottage, and the outcome that many had dreaded became a reality.

Newcastle United delivered a performance that I wish I could say is out of character for us, but in truth, we've seen this same struggle on the road for the past ten months. Was today's first half any worse than what we experienced at the same stadium back in March? Or how does it compare to our games against Crystal Palace, Luton Town, Chelsea, or Manchester United? What we witnessed today is basically how Newcastle United has played away from home under Eddie Howe.

The squad appeared solid on paper, although it raised some questions about how Sandro Tonali can play for Italy while this version of Newcastle United struggles to maintain midfield control. Willock’s inclusion was a positive, but shifting Joelinton out wide to face Adama Traore felt questionable. The left-back rotation kept going with Kelly returning, and Barnes also made the lineup. It seemed like this team had the capability to outplay Fulham, who aren't to be underestimated, but will probably end up in the lower half of the league again.

Aside from a lively start and a brief period of play right after the break, Fulham was clearly the stronger team and fully deserved the victory. At halftime, the score could have easily been four or five goals for them instead of just two. United's defense was incredibly passive, showing no urgency to pressure the ball and failing to make any tackles when opponents attacked. This led to an odd situation where we allowed our rivals to roam freely around the pitch until they felt ready to make a pass or take a shot. It’s an unusual strategy. Whenever we approached their penalty area, a combination of fouls, tough tackles, and constant pressure made it nearly impossible for us to create any chances. I don’t understand why the manager continues to let the team defend this way. The outcome was yet another match against a struggling team where we conceded over twenty shots on goal.

Bruno and Willock struggled to keep up with the midfield players making runs, which led to serious problems. This is fundamental to the game. Being two goals down at halftime and making more substitutions shows that the manager doesn’t have a clear idea of his strongest lineup. This is a troubling situation as we move into October.

The second half kicked off with a surge of excitement as Barnes scored again, but apart from Schar missing an easy pass to Isak for what could have been a well-crafted goal, we hardly posed any threat to Fulham throughout the match. To me, that lack of offense is more worrisome than the chaotic moments we had defensively.

For the first time under Howe, I noticed that the away fans seemed to turn against some players, particularly Anthony Gordon and Bruno, as they kept trying to win easy free kicks instead of focusing on scoring. Bruno, especially, missed a fantastic chance during a counter-attack where he aimed to get their full-back, who already had a yellow card, sent off. The incident wasn’t actually a foul, and it squandered what could have been a crucial moment in the game. It was disappointing and not typical of Bruno's usual performance.

The match concluded with yet another ridiculous goal, and Bruno provided the assist. That goal overshadowed what could have been an interesting post-match interview, where a mistake by the goalkeeper turned out to be the deciding factor in a closely contested game. Despite the severity of the error, our goalkeeper played a crucial role in keeping us competitive.

What’s next for us? Collecting 10 points from the first five matches is a solid start to the season. However, with some challenging fixtures ahead, Howe will need to settle on his strongest lineup and remain consistent. Tonali must be included in the squad. The players should begin to make more tackles and take calculated risks. There’s been too much lateral and backward passing, with forwards opting for the safe play instead of pushing forward. Midfielders are repeatedly passing to Dan Burn rather than looking for an opportunity with Isak's runs, and that’s not an assertive approach.

The frequency of changes happening each week and in-game—not just substituting players but also shifting their positions—takes me back to the current manager of Blackpool. Eddie Howe clearly surpasses his predecessor in terms of management skills, but it's hard to ignore the fact that something seems off when he's had to make five substitutions at halftime in the last two matches. He’s been working with many of these players for three weeks since the Spurs game and has had the entire squad for a week since the Wolves match. What was the strategy? What have these players been focusing on during this time?

This isn’t just a one-time event; it’s not just a minor setback. This loss accurately shows where Newcastle United currently stands in away matches, and that’s concerning. The season has started off relatively easy, though we’ve had plenty of games on the road. We have a crucial week ahead. We are capable of beating Manchester City, but not if we keep playing like this. Even if we pull off a win, we need to make significant changes to our away performance; otherwise, we’ll frequently face the consequences of our shortcomings. Today, we barely escaped with a 3-1 score against a team that wasn’t that strong. We need to improve quickly.

Alex Hurst – @TFAlex1892