'A once fierce team have become flaky'
- Published
It was hardly a surprise that, earlier in May, owners, executives and leading figures plotted how to bounce back from a poor Newcastle season during an annual summit in Northumberland.
"We are in a moment right now and they want to understand why, what we are doing about it and how to fix it," a senior source said.
Rather than reacting emotionally, though, those at the top have sought to address what has gone wrong with the help of thorough, dispassionate analysis.
Some big changes are coming and this squad will look different when next season kicks off.
There remains a gap in valuation between Bayern Munich and Newcastle, who will only sell on "our terms", but Anthony Gordon looks set to be among those to leave, with Barcelona also joining the race for the winger.
Factoring in potential outgoings, Newcastle could need a goalkeeper, full-back, midfielder and a couple of forwards as a bare minimum.
Having grown "frustrated" with recurring on-the-field issues he has been unable to solve, Howe said the club are "very clear" on what is required this summer after a disappointing 12th-placed finish.
It will take more than new faces alone, but Howe has pointed to examples of other clubs climbing the table following some smart recruitment in a single window.
As BBC Sport previously reported, the head coach has been viewed as part of the diagnosis and solution going into a crucial summer rebuild led by sporting director Ross Wilson.
But, Newcastle have to rediscover their edge. They were once notable for an ability to finish off the opposition. In 2024-25, no other team threw away fewer points than the Magpies (seven).
They have squandered the most points from winning positions (27) in the top flight and conceded the most goals (21) in the final 15 minutes of games.
A once fierce team have become flaky.
It has been a real slog, the first time many in the dressing room have experienced a mentally-draining 58-game season.
Even the coaching staff did not feel they could truly savour victories at the height of it, wary a defeat a few days later could swing the momentum the other way.
Newcastle were never quite able to go on the sort of defining run they had enjoyed in years gone by, in a campaign where 71% of their league defeats were by a single goal. Howe needs to swiftly find a way to get back on the right side of those margins.
