A chastening defeat for Newcastle United, who, for the second time this season, conceded four goals in an away game. The Magpies will be hoping there isn’t any more Monday night games any time soon, that’s for sure.
Coventry had only scored five goals in the Premier League this season and hadn't won a home game, but the Magpies gifted them four more and a victory, missing out on the chance to go fourth.
A bitter defeat to swallow, but for the moment, it’s simply an indication of where Newcastle are as a team. So, what did we learn?
No.9 not beneficial for Matias Fernandez Pardo
Matias Fernandez-Pardo is still new to the Premier League and hasn't featured regularly. This was only his second start and he was once again named the starting striker.
Newcastle were wasteful in front of goal overall, but Pardo in particular struggled. The Belgian had two big moments, one of which saw him dummy one of the clearest sights of goal Newcastle had all day to absolutely nobody.
Then he had a one-on-one with Carl Rushworth, where he attempted to round the goalkeeper instead of shooting first time, ultimately seeing his effort blocked on the line.
There is a player in Pardo, but as he gets accustomed to a new league, I don't see the benefit in putting all this pressure on him. For now, it'd be beneficial for him to play on the wing or slot in behind the striker, as that is where it seems he would be more comfortable.
Before the game kicked off, it never felt like the right choice, and I thought Jaissle had him and Yoane Wissa in the wrong places; they needed to switch.
4-2-3-1 isn't working
Now, bearing in mind, Newcastle have remained unbeaten at home. Away from home, they're struggling with this system. Not that they haven't struggled with it at home, but they have fortunately managed to see games out.
But with a 4-2-3-1, you need an actual attacking midfielder and two other midfielders who can operate as a double pivot.
England, for example, make the formation work because it has set roles for the two midfielders in the double pivot and a set attacking midfielder who is familiar in that role, whether it be Jude Bellingham or Morgan Rogers.
The problem for Newcastle is that they don't have a No. 10 to sustain this formation. Under Eddie Howe, he built a team that played a 4-3-3.
Those Howe sides were aggressive and fought in midfield with few gaps which protected the defence but also allowed the ball to be won back quickly. Newcastle currently don’t have that in the current system.
A fair reflection of where Newcastle are at
We know it will be a bumpy ride for Newcastle this season, Jaissle confirmed that much, and we must bear in mind that some of these players are young and coming into a new league.
Anytime a team loses 4-1, it is a bad result, but taking a look at this defeat compared to their 4-1 defeat at Leeds there were some small positives to take, such as a more sustainable level of chance creation in the final third.
It wasn't smooth sailing against Hull either, as Newcastle defended for their lives until the final whistle, but they got the job done. The Magpies came back against Bournemouth, drew with Liverpool, and beat Spurs away. That is enough indication that a lot of this season might not make much sense, we just have to be patient.
Newcastle look spirited in attack, but have holes in midfield and defence, sitting 11th in the league, with a massive overhaul of young players to develop for the long term.
11th with eight points is the reality Newcastle are in: a mid-table side that will suffer from inconsistency. There will be good days and bad days until we see a settled best 11.
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