Newcastle’s horrendous form has resulted in them being dragged into an increasingly concerning relegation fight.
Steve Bruce’s men are now without a win in 11 games in all competitions, with their last three points coming all the way back on December 12, when they scraped past a poor West Brom side thanks to a late Dwight Gayle winner.
Their 2-1 loss at home to Leeds on Tuesday night means the Magpies are now perilously close to the drop zone. They sit just six points above Fulham in 18th, and with fellow relegation battlers West Brom and Brighton getting important points in recent games, Newcastle now find themselves labelled as strong relegation candidates.
So, why have Newcastle slipped down the table after a promising start to the season?
Well, there isn’t just one reason why they are slipping towards the bottom three. At both ends of the pitch they simply haven’t been good enough as the damning statistics show.
At this stage of the season, Bruce’s side rank 19th in the league for total No of shots, averaging just over eight per game, and they’ve found the back of the net 18 times, the 16th worst in the Premier League.
Creativity is something that Steve Bruce’s side have been lacking in abundance but that is to be expected when they average just 39.1 per cent possession per game.
The major lack of possession means they have been limited to just 13.33 shot creating actions per 90 minutes – the second worst in the league.
Regardless of the worryingly low number of chances they create, when they do get a shot away at goal Newcastle are surprisingly efficient – boasting an 8.1 per cent conversion rate. That is higher than the likes of Manchester City, Leeds and Arsenal to name a few.
So, it’s not particularly converting chances which has been Newcastle’s downfall in the final third, it’s the number of shooting opportunities they’re creating.
At the other end of the pitch, Newcastle are still just as disappointing.
They’ve kept just three clean sheets in 20 games, conceding 34 goals. Bruce’s lack of defensive organisation is evident. Poor positional discipline has resulted in conceding six goals from counter-attacks, the worst out of all the top-flight teams.
With Bruce’s men seriously struggling at both ends of the pitch, it’s no wonder that people are calling for a new manager to take the helm.
Naturally, the 60-year-old has taken the blame for his side’s performances however, fingers can be pointed in a few directions for their lack of inspiration.
Bruce has been without Allan Saint-Maximin for the past 10 games, with the forward only recently recovering from the long-term effects of Covid-19 after testing positive two months ago.
Saint-Maximin made his return to the side during the defeat to Leeds, and his return may be the spark Newcastle need to create more chances once he returns to full match fitness. A welcome injection of pace and trickery is sure to help the Magpies as they try to avoid slipping into the bottom three.
Poor investment is another key factor for Newcastle struggling this season. It’s well known that their owner Mike Ashley isn’t too keen to invest in key areas, but when he has brought in new arrivals, it hasn’t gone well.
A prime example is record signing Joelinton, hasn’t lived up to his £40million price tag, with the striker scoring just once this season. Another big money signing Miguel Almiron is yet to hit the ground running after his arrival from Atlanta United in 2019.
The need for reinforcements all over the pitch is clear to see, but Ashley hasn’t been too keen to oblige after his failed attempt to sell the club back in August.
Despite all this, Bruce and his coaching staff still have a squad capable of playing good football like we’ve seen in the past under different managers. However, they are clearly lacking a Plan B to turn the tide at St James’ Park as they edge closer and closer to Championship football.
This poor run of form will be increasingly concerning for the Newcastle board, who won’t hesitate to make managerial changes if needed.
Ashley has appointed six managers in the past seven years, showing that he isn’t afraid to bring in a new boss if the results aren’t being produced, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bruce relieved of his duties if this poor string of results continues.
By Liam Davies
