Eddie Howe's decision to effectively demote Ciaran Clark, Jeff Hendrick and Dwight Gayle shows the Newcastle United head coach is not afraid to get ruthless as he looks to trim his squad.
The experienced trio made just 10 appearances overall under Howe last season and look to have played their last competitive game for the club after being told to train with the reserves. Although Newcastle now have a larger group of players, Howe's decision to reroute Clark, Hendrick and Gayle to the academy building marks a shift in approach.
In the second half of last season, after all, those individuals who were left out of the 25-man squad continued to work with the first team when fit. In fact, Howe welcomed how Clark supported the group and trained like he was still available for selection. Similarly, even though Gayle barely featured under Howe, despite being included in the squad, the striker helped maintain high standards around the training ground and was one of the club's best trainers.
