Newcastle's current league standing is 13th, with three wins, three draws, and four losses from their first ten games.

Howe was critical of his team's performance, stating that they lacked dynamism, physicality, and energy. He felt that the team's body language and collective spirit were not present, and that they failed to replicate their home form on the road.

Howe noted that the team's away performances have not been as strong as their home performances, and that this game was one of their worst in recent games where they failed to win.

He attributed the poor performance to a lack of mental preparedness, rather than a tactical or technical issue.