Jamie Carragher’s pre-match comments summed up the frustration surrounding Newcastle United’s current struggles before a ball was even kicked in their 3-1 defeat at Brentford.
When asked by Mark Chapman on Sky Sports why Newcastle had been so poor away from home this season, Carragher appeared genuinely puzzled. “Normally when a team is poor away from home they lack mentality or physicality,” he said.
“But those aren’t things you associate with this Newcastle team.” In hindsight, Carragher might have unknowingly identified the root of the problem the mentality that once defined Eddie Howe’s side seems to be slipping away.
Eddie Howe himself emphasized before the match that his team needed the right mentality to break their winless away run in the Premier League. He spoke of the need for focus, composure, and resilience, especially against Brentford’s dangerous set-piece play.
Yet, by the final whistle, it was clear that Newcastle lacked the very belief and strength Howe had called for. Despite taking the lead through Harvey Barnes before halftime, the Magpies unraveled spectacularly in the second half, undone by a combination of defensive errors, lapses in concentration, and what looked like a loss of confidence.
The collapse began when goalkeeper Nick Pope came for a long throw that he was never likely to reach. Sven Botman’s header then fell perfectly into the path of Kevin Schade, who slotted into an empty net to bring Brentford level.
From that moment, Newcastle’s composure deserted them. Dan Burn’s second yellow card earned for a clumsy challenge inside the box handed Brentford a penalty and a lead they never looked like surrendering.
Then, with Newcastle pushing forward desperately, Botman switched off once more, allowing Igor Thiago to score Brentford’s third and seal the victory.
Mistakes like these can happen to any side, but what will concern Howe most is that they came from experienced senior players leaders who are expected to set the standard. Burn, Botman, and Pope are part of the core that helped Newcastle climb back into the Premier League’s elite over the last two seasons.
Yet in London, just as they had against West Ham a week earlier, they failed to show the steel and composure that once defined Howe’s men. For the second successive weekend, Newcastle took the lead away from home and still ended up losing 3-1 a pattern that highlights both fragility and inconsistency.
After the match, Howe admitted what many fans were already thinking. “I think it is clear if you watch Newcastle today that we were lacking in confidence,” he said. His honesty reflects the mood within the camp.
The statistics make grim reading too Newcastle have now dropped nine points from winning positions this season, more than any other Premier League team. To put that into perspective, they dropped only seven points from similar situations during the entirety of last season.
That decline points to a deeper issue than just tactical missteps or poor defending. It suggests a loss of the psychological edge that once set them apart. Jurgen Klopp famously called his Liverpool side “mentality monsters” because of their ability to push through adversity injuries, fatigue, and pressure while still finding ways to win.
Under Howe, Newcastle had begun to earn a similar reputation. They fought off relegation, returned to the Champions League, reached two domestic finals, and even ended their 70-year trophy drought with a Carabao Cup win earlier this year. That success was built on collective belief, unity, and mental toughness.
But this season feels different. The fire seems dimmed, the swagger gone. The team that once thrived under pressure now appears to buckle when the tide turns against them. Howe faces perhaps his biggest challenge yet as Newcastle manager not just to fix tactical flaws, but to reignite the spirit and hunger that powered their rise.
The international break offers a brief window to reset, but the clock is ticking. With only three wins from their opening 11 league games and no away victories to speak of, the Magpies sit just two points above the relegation zone a position that would have seemed unthinkable just months ago.
If Newcastle truly want to reclaim their reputation as “mentality monsters,” now is the time to prove it. The visit of Manchester City in 12 days’ time could be the perfect opportunity to show they still have the grit, courage, and belief that once made them one of the Premier League’s most resilient sides. Otherwise, what was once seen as a temporary slump could soon start to feel like a full-blown crisis.
