"Newcastle supporters are starting to regard Eddie Howe's team as an unreliable friend. Catch them on the right night and they invariably prove the life and soul of the thrillingly high-intensity party but, on other days, the once-dependable Sandro Tonali and company simply fail to turn up. As if that were not bad enough, their second-half game management has become suffused with a chaotic streak."
"Howe's players visit Manchester United on Boxing Day having dropped 13 Premier League points from winning positions this season and are without a clean sheet in 10 games in all competitions. Victory at Old Trafford would be only their second away league win. Conversely, they have lost once in six league matches and, despite sitting a modest 11th, are only six points adrift of a top-four place."
"We don't just have problems, said Newcastle's manager. We have strengths as well. My glass is very much half full at present. I know everybody else might have a different opinion but I feel we're improving. Whether Howe's players can reprise or even eclipse the highs of last season's Carabao Cup triumph and fifth-place league finish remains to be seen as they juggle a congested fixture list."
Newcastle combine exhilarating high-intensity displays with troubling inconsistency and poor second-half game management. The side have dropped 13 Premier League points from winning positions and have not kept a clean sheet in 10 matches across competitions. Away victories have been scarce, with a potential win at Old Trafford set to be only the second this season. Results include one defeat in six league games, an 11th-place standing and a gap of six points to the top four. A two-leg Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester City and Champions League progression remain realistic targets despite a congested fixture list and visible fatigue.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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