Eddie Howe admits Newcastle United missing ‘X Factor’ following ‘difficult’ summer transfer window
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Newcastle United latest news: Eddie Howe has opened up about a ‘difficult’ summer transfer window and how his team are ‘evolving’ into an ‘exciting’ team.
Eddie Howe believes that Newcastle United are missing an ‘X Factor’ in their play following a difficult summer window and a relatively slow start to the season. The Magpies have won just one game all season and scored just four times in their six outings so far this campaign.
After beginning the season without a striker after the departure of Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak’s decision to not play for the club as he sought a move to Anfield, the Magpies rectified those holes in that area of the pitch during the final week of the window when they bought Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa.
Despite beginning the window slowly, losing their sporting director Paul Mitchell and having to deal with interest in Isak from Anfield, Newcastle ended the summer in a much stronger position than they began it and have strengthened their squad in key areas.
Speaking a little over three weeks after the window closed, Howe has admitted that it was a ‘difficult’ window but has backed the club and team to go from strength to strength: “It was my intention - and the intention of everyone at the club - to be that [dynamic in business],” Howe said.
“No one says, ‘We’d like to do our business late’, and then start the season with a group of new players who you have to mould as you’re playing.
“That was never the thought of anyone connected to the club. But the way the summer unfolded - and there is a whole host of reasons why that happened - this is the situation we’ve been placed in and now it’s our job to try and make the best of that.
“That has always been my method of work. It’s quite clear, the summer was difficult.
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“We’ve tried to come out of it as strong as we could and I think we have. The squad is really strong but we need to do a lot of work now to try and gel the team together.”
Eddie Howe on Newcastle United’s missing ‘X Factor’
Scoring goals has been a concern this season, with three-straight goalless draws on the road in the Premier League. Woltemade, Newcastle’s club-record purchase, has started his career on Tyneside in promising fashion, but injury to Wissa, a Premier League ready striker, has impacted their plans on slowly drip feeding the German into the team.
Howe, though, has backed his team to get back scoring again - even if they need time to ‘evolve’ how they play following Isak’s departure: “Naturally you do evolve as time goes on.
“We're going through a period where we've had the biggest change to the squad since my time here.
“In an ideal world you have a full pre-season to iron out any issues you have. You're forming your partnerships and team relationships so they're formed for the start of the season.
“I think we're in the position where we're going to have to do it as we play. I have no issue with doing that, I've done it before.
“I'm excited about the team we can be. I think the biggest thing is the foundation is solid.
“The team is playing with strength, it's just missing that X Factor that I think will come. With the players we have, some of them guarantee goals and I see no reason as a team why we won't score.”