Newcastle United’s struggles away from home as of late have been painfully obvious. They just lost their most recent Premier League match, 3-1 at home to Brentford. Head coach Eddie Howe quickly admitted the team had lost its confidence. The team’s away league record now stretches back more than six months without a win. Their most recent victory away from St James’ Park came back in April against Leicester City. This loss was emblematic of a more concerning trend for the squad.
The loss at Brentford made it ten series without a victory away from home in the Premier League for Newcastle. During that span, the team has been miserable at the plate. Fourth worst in the league, they’ve only been able to net five goals over nine away games. Flick’s side looked wonderful in Bavaria, but Howe’s side are no slouches themselves at home. They’ve thrown 140 attempts (14 per game), but only 91 on the road.
A Dismal Away Record
Regardless of the shape of the squad, Newcastle’s away day performances have been a big worry for fans and pundits this season. The team has not enjoyed the taste of victory in six months, with their last win coming on April 15, 2023 against Leicester City (3-0). Since that match, Newcastle has struggled to find the back of the net, managing only one goal from striker Nick Woltemade in their away games. Despite Woltemade’s four goals in eight appearances since joining the club during the summer transfer window, his effectiveness appears limited by the team’s overall performance.
Their most recent match against Brentford only served to amplify these issues. After taking an early lead, Newcastle allowed Brentford to equalize and ultimately secured a comeback victory with two second-half goals. The travelling supporters made their feelings clear while the game was still in play. As the game crumbled into oblivion for Newcastle, they reacted by booing heartily.
Howe is still cognizant that there is work to improve and is willing to do what it takes to make the needed adjustments to turn around the bad press. He stated, “My message is that we know it’s not good enough and I take full responsibility for that. The work to putting that right starts now. That’s all that I can do in this moment.”
Offensive Woes and Defensive Concerns
Newcastle’s away match stats paint a very clear picture. It’s been eight games since their last win. Sadly though, they’ve clocked in a mere 9.1 shots per game, well under their home average of 13.8. Their absence in terms of attacking production is obvious. At home, they averaged just 20 shots total per game, but on the road that number ballooned to 91.
Howe also reflected positively on Woltemade’s performance, stating, “This has been Nick’s great start to his career here. It’s not all on him either, we haven’t supported him enough for him to be as effective as he could be and especially not today. A singular focus on the health of individual players obfuscates the more important truth that there are systemic issues at play that must be addressed.
The burden on Woltemade has increased since he became the only healthy center-forward option available to Courtenay I. Howe. I think it was a real tough game for him. Difficult in the sense that he’s the only suitable centre-forward option we have. Howe said this increases the pressure on him even more. It further compounds the pressure on his shoulders, particularly when choosing to stand behind just the one striker in an unforgiving league.
The Need for Change
Eddie Howe is aware that a tactical rethink could be key to turning around Newcastle’s away form. He stressed that any adjustments must be carefully considered: “If there is a reshuffle, it needs to be done in the right way.” This short statement belies his seriousness on both accountability as well as thoughtful, strategic state leadership as he maneuvers through this grim chapter.
In light of Newcastle’s contrasting home and away performances, fans will be eager to see how Howe’s approach evolves in the coming weeks. Whatever the degree of upheaval, the call for quietness and consideration is the first requirement as he attempts the delicate task of rebuilding belief in the group. “I think we need to be very calm, but we need to be measured and we need to be reflective,” he noted.
Whatever the case, the upcoming fixtures will be huge for Newcastle. They’re intent on putting a stop to their winless run on the road. Only the players can come together and figure out how to further that potential into points. They must break out of this crisis of confidence and move ahead.
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