Newcastle United's 2024/25 season so far has been quite disappointing. After getting some quick points in the initial games, the side, after their 1-2 loss against Chelsea, is now winless from 5 PL matchdays, slipping down to the 12th position. Certainly, it was clear that Chelsea won't be any easy with Newcastle; the way they have dropped some claimable points would hurt them.
Newcastle boss Howe believes key Toon trio could improve further going forward
While an easy observation from the club's last few games can be their awful finishing upfront that has been holding them back, deep down it feels that they haven't been convincing in any of the departments so far. From the Chelsea fixture only, apart from Isak's embarrassing miss, the side looked a lot far from their best; the way they conceded the second goal raises questions.
Understandably, after the fixture, manager Eddie Howe suggested a key aspect in which the side didn't feel completely convincing. Howe, pointing toward the star-studded midfield trio of Sandro Tonali, Joelinton, and Captain Bruno Guimaraes, mentioned that while they looked good in some instances, they could have done together as a unit.
Reflecting upon his midfield trio's performance, Howe said,
"“I thought the starting trio were OK, and I say OK because we can be better. But I thought they physically did well for us; they had to as they had a lot of work to get through. Technically, it was OK; again, it can be better.""Eddie Howe
Moreover, the manager highlighted the sloppy way they started the second half, looking much less competitive than their opponents, which ultimately cost them. Minutes into the second half, prodigy star Cole Palmer put the side in the lead once again, through a smooth finish past Nick Pope. Expressing his disappointment in the play, Howe remarked,
"“I thought we started the second half poor with the ball. We made changes to try and get back into the game; I’m limited sometimes with my selections on that, as in who I can bring off.”"Eddie Howe
However, what has been concerning for Newcastle is that so far this season, their midfield trio hasn't been performing the way they would have expected. Rather than being a one-game issue, the midfield's poor display has been impacting them for long now, with the trio being extremely brilliant the last time, in the 1-1 draw against Manchester City. Newcastle fans would hope that the three superstars return to their best soon, as the club's top-4 PL chances dwindle as games pass by.