The hope was that a break in Dubai would have the same effects as the trip to Saudi Arabia in February. But on the basis of what was on offer at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon, that doesn't look to be the case.
The return of club football brought a 5-1 drubbing in the capital where Newcastle made it so easy for their opponents with car crash defending and incredibly poor passing. No one in a Magpies shirt impressed during the defeat.
But when the players were looking to the touchline for answers, the usually unflappable Eddie Howe didn't seem to have any. Newcastle kept Chelsea at bay for 90 minutes a few weeks ago playing five at the back and sitting deep. This time around, Howe opted for a four-man defence against the front three of Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski.
