Is Howe’s high-intensity pressing philosophy the problem?
Newcastle were excellent for an hour against Milan on Wednesday but ended up losing 2-1 and dropping out of Europe at the end of a night when continued Champions League involvement had seemed well within their grasp. The problem was that, not for the first time in recent weeks, a side missing a starting XI of injured senior players simply could not sustain Eddie Howe’s hallmark, exhaustingly high-tempo, heavy-metal high-pressing game. Is a change, or at least a modification, of style required? No one can question the team’s often awe-inspiring commitment but human beings, even Joelinton, cannot run through brick walls. An energy-conserving Plan B, perhaps involving a cagier counterattacking plan, seems called for. After all, the very best sides all know how to slow games down and take control of midfield at the right moments. Otherwise burnout, mental as well as physical, surely beckons. Bad luck, along with the pressures of juggling the Premier League with a European campaign, have clearly played a big part in Howe’s casualty list but has the manager’s “intensity is our identity” motto been taken to extremes? Is it time for the medical and sports science departments to review training methods and rehabilitation protocols?
