Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe delivered a scathing assessment after his side’s away-day crisis worsened with a shocking 3-1 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium.
The loss extends Newcastle’s Premier League winless streak on the road to eight games since April, leaving them struggling in the lower half of the table.
Despite Jacob Murphy scoring early, Newcastle failed to build on the lead, allowing West Ham to equalise through Lucas Paqueta before an own goal from Sven Botman put the Hammers ahead by halftime.
A furious Howe, who made three substitutions at the break, admitted the team was unrecognisable and lacked its usual intensity. “I didn’t like the body language of the group,” he stated, adding he “almost could have taken anyone off” at the half.
The team has now taken only three points on the road all season, with the defeat prompting goalscorer Murphy to urge the side to “stay calm” and “put things right.”
Newcastle now faces a critical fixture against Brentford next week to try and spark a turnaround in their fortunes, hoping to repeat a similar revival they staged after a London defeat nearly a year ago.
