Newcastle United suffer worse day of 2022 as Eddie Howe tactical note lies in tatters at Spurs

A tactical message scrawled on a piece of paper passed from Bruno Guimaraes to Jonjo Shelvey lay in tatters on the lush turf at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium tonight after a tough afternoon for the Magpies in the capital.

At 3-1 down, and the damage arguably done, Newcastle United dropped Shelvey into a back five before quickly changing tact and opting for damage limitation as Jamaal Lascelles returned to the fold. No matter what United tried after the break though went wrong and in truth, it could have been even worse.

On a day that had at one stage promised so much as Swiss defender Fabian Schar hammered home a free-kick with just six first half minutes remaining, a week of trawling through video content now awaits. Even after defensive alterations, Newcastle could not avoid a hammering in the capital and while they remain clear of the relegation zone this felt like a wake up call in North London.

The Magpies have rightly had the plaudits in recent times but they now face a test of character in the last eight matches. Thankfully they have three consecutive home games to regroup with those clashes on Tyneside giving them a chance of securing safety before what would be a nervous run-in.

United arrived in North London having never lost at Spurs' revamped stadium but were up against an Antonio Conte side vying for a Champions League spot. Howe did not opt for a defensive strategy like he had at Chelsea last month, when he went with five at the back, and instead persisted with the more ambitious 4-3-3 formation that had previously served him well.

Yet he ended up reverting to the same defensive shape albeit with varying personnel. The home side tried to make an impact in the early stages with Heung-Min Son's corner swept in