Eddie Howe faces the monumental task of fixing Newcastle defence

Just before his first game as Newcastle manager, Eddie Howe was revealed to have tested positive for COVID-19. In his absence, his assistant Jason Tindall called the shots, and Newcastle drew 3-3 against Brentford at St. James’ Park. The thrilling match swayed in both directions before ending in a draw due to a 75th-minute equaliser for Newcastle. It is hard to imagine that Howe would have had an easy time back in his hotel room when the match was underway.

Having set up the team to a 3-4-3 formation, Howe deserves some credit in his team’s performance, having played the attacking game to perfection, something that their fans had waited to witness for a long time. This was only the second time in the season that the Magpies had managed to achieve a possession average of over 50 percent. To Newcastle’s credit, they have quality players in their forward areas, with Callum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin, and Joelinton proving to be star performers for their side.

However, the problem with Newcastle lies on the other side of the field. It is to be noted that before this game, Brentford had been on a four-match losing spree, having scored only three goals in the last few outings. They managed to score three more within an hour of playing Newcastle, who will now have to wait a little longer for a win.

It is no surprise that Newcastle has conceded the most goals in their division and has had their defences breached on 27 occasions. While there is the hope of renewing their defence during the January transfer window, there are still eight games to play before they get that opportunity. Another reason for worry here is that Eddie Howe is not the best person for building watertight defences. His previous stint as the manager of Bournemouth is a testimony to that fact.

In his tenure, Bournemouth conceded 330 goals with an average of 1.74 per game. One might argue, and rightly so, that this was the price to pay in order to have a solid attacking unit. At no point in his tenure of four years, was he close to striking a balance between attack and defence. This ultimately proved fatal for Bournemouth once their goals dried up.

Things seem challenging for Howe as the season progresses. They need to find ways to compensate for their inadequate defences, which would otherwise haunt the team until the transfer window opens in January. While the chances seem to be slim, there is still hope for the Magpies.  They could try to emulate Derby County, who managed to survive in 2000/01 in spite of losing their first 12 games. But for that to happen, they would have to figure out a way to tighten their defences for the remainder of their games.

Football is an unpredictable game, and the Premier League is a fantastic tournament with many twists and turns. This can be turned into a profit if you know the right place to bet.  Best Betting Odds offers a wide range of bonuses that you can use on popular betting websites like Bet365, Betway, 888 Bet, and many more. Get your bonuses today and earn profits right away.