Newcastle United look out of gas, tired and in need of some recuperation. The defeat to Everton reaffirmed just how hard the squad has been working, and just how high the bar has been set by Eddie Howe.
The run of form since the FA Cup exit to Cambridge has been nothing short of miraculous - 20 points from a possible 30. A nine-game unbeaten run has taken United away from the drop zone when at the turn of the year, many could only see a drop into The Championship.
It’s for that very reason that the defeat to Everton is frustrating but not devastating. Newcastle lie eight points from the drop zone and as 2022 came into play, the majority of fans would have taken even a point as a buffer zone.
