The Magpies seven game unbeaten run came to an end at the Vitality stadium as Bournemouth overran a muted and quite frankly exhausted looking team in green on Saturday evening.
While Bournemouth’s squad benefitted from seven days at home Newcastle Utd’s players have had almost a week on the road, with little time to recharge their batteries between games.
That is the reality that top teams must endure and while normally we view international breaks as an irritation, this particular break cannot have come at a better time for Howe and his squad of honest players.
Back to the game, and with 12 first team players unavailable due to a combination of injury and suspension Howe had few options for his starting eleven, although how they set up was very much in his own hands.
Lewis Miley was brought into the central midfield berth vacated by Bruno Guimarães suspension, while Joelinton was moved into a more advanced role to support Anthony Gordon with Joe Willock slotted into the left sided midfield engine room role for only his third start of the season. Lewis Hall was preferred to the option of Tino Livramento or Paul Dummett for the left back slot.
Youngsters Amadou Diallo, Ben Parkinson and Alex Murphy were named on the bench.
And it was Bournemouth who got off to a more positive start as they set about their business on the front foot, creating chances and looking the livelier of the two teams with Solanki and Christie looking sharp.
After 30 minutes Almiron took a heavy knock and was replaced by Matt Ritchie not long after Howe made a tactical change, moving Joelinton into a more central attacking role, with a jaded looking Anthony Gordon pushed into a wide berth and as the half time whistle came it was Nick Pope who had been the busier of the two keepers.
Another change for Newcastle came at the start of the second half with Hall replaced by Livramento and while they huffed and puffed their way through the first fifteen minutes, it was Bournemouth who broke the deadlock through a Solanki turn and shot after being gifted the ball by Willock.
On 66 minutes Miley was replaced by Parkinson but just six minutes later Solanki got his second, tapping in after Sinisterra's effort came back off the post.
Newcastle continued to huff and puff while Bournemouth wasted a series of chances to put the game to bed and that was down to the efforts of Nick Pope who was called upon time and again to keep his team in the game and by the final whistle had faced 18 clear cut chances from a stuttering Bournemouth who weren’t wearing their shooting boots.
In contrast Newcastle managed only two shots on target in 90 minutes.
For Bournemouth the win brought a much-deserved three points; lifting them out of the relegation zone.
Speaking immediately after the game Eddie Howe said: "We were short today in and out of possession. It wasn't our finest moment, and we must accept it. Early on in the game, we weren't where we wanted to be physically, so we had to adapt. We weren't ourselves today. We were frustrated with our performance throughout the game and the goals compound that in the second period when we were trying to dig out a result an found ourselves under pressure."
"It was just a game too far and we couldn't respond. Bournemouth played well but we were well below par. It was a tough afternoon. We weren't ourselves in possession or out of possession. If you can't do that at this level, it will be a difficult day. When we are under fatigue and stretched, we usually respond better. We need to dust ourselves down and come back in strong”.
“Nick Pope made some great saves for us, and he needed to as we were leaking chances. Jamaal Lascelles did great in the air too, but I don’t think there were too many bright sparks. We were well off it.
Howe also spoke of the injury situation and the impact on his squad as a whole, saying: "We have a whole host of players, and we need them back as soon as we can. We have a busy December as well so it's not a good mix but something we have to get used to.
"The break has come at a good time for us, but I don't necessarily think it will bring a flood of players back. We have long-term injured players. Hopefully we can get one or two back, while Bruno (Guimaraes) was suspended at a bad time.
"We didn't have the options on the bench to change things and Miggy (Almiron's) injury made things even harder. There's no criticism of the young guys who came in today, but it was a tough environment for them. We suffered the consequences.
"In an ideal world, there were a couple of players we'd have liked to have brought off sooner than we did today and it's just a sign of how stretched we are.
Howe also confirmed that Callum Wilson won't travel with England. “He's going to be out for a number of weeks."
Howe also brushed over what at first looked like an unsavoury incident involving Kieran Trippier and a fan; sensibly putting a lid on the matter in the same way that Trippier did when he the media asked him to comment.
"I did see that, and I just think there is high emotion at the end of games. We really appreciate our away support. Everyone is valued and we're just disappointed with the result.
The defeat leaves Howe's side seventh in the table, four points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, who can extend their advantage when they play Brentford at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
While Bournemouth’s squad benefitted from seven days at home Newcastle Utd’s players have had almost a week on the road, with little time to recharge their batteries between games.
That is the reality that top teams must endure and while normally we view international breaks as an irritation, this particular break cannot have come at a better time for Howe and his squad of honest players.
Back to the game, and with 12 first team players unavailable due to a combination of injury and suspension Howe had few options for his starting eleven, although how they set up was very much in his own hands.
Lewis Miley was brought into the central midfield berth vacated by Bruno Guimarães suspension, while Joelinton was moved into a more advanced role to support Anthony Gordon with Joe Willock slotted into the left sided midfield engine room role for only his third start of the season. Lewis Hall was preferred to the option of Tino Livramento or Paul Dummett for the left back slot.
Youngsters Amadou Diallo, Ben Parkinson and Alex Murphy were named on the bench.
And it was Bournemouth who got off to a more positive start as they set about their business on the front foot, creating chances and looking the livelier of the two teams with Solanki and Christie looking sharp.
After 30 minutes Almiron took a heavy knock and was replaced by Matt Ritchie not long after Howe made a tactical change, moving Joelinton into a more central attacking role, with a jaded looking Anthony Gordon pushed into a wide berth and as the half time whistle came it was Nick Pope who had been the busier of the two keepers.
Another change for Newcastle came at the start of the second half with Hall replaced by Livramento and while they huffed and puffed their way through the first fifteen minutes, it was Bournemouth who broke the deadlock through a Solanki turn and shot after being gifted the ball by Willock.
On 66 minutes Miley was replaced by Parkinson but just six minutes later Solanki got his second, tapping in after Sinisterra's effort came back off the post.
Newcastle continued to huff and puff while Bournemouth wasted a series of chances to put the game to bed and that was down to the efforts of Nick Pope who was called upon time and again to keep his team in the game and by the final whistle had faced 18 clear cut chances from a stuttering Bournemouth who weren’t wearing their shooting boots.
In contrast Newcastle managed only two shots on target in 90 minutes.
For Bournemouth the win brought a much-deserved three points; lifting them out of the relegation zone.
Speaking immediately after the game Eddie Howe said: "We were short today in and out of possession. It wasn't our finest moment, and we must accept it. Early on in the game, we weren't where we wanted to be physically, so we had to adapt. We weren't ourselves today. We were frustrated with our performance throughout the game and the goals compound that in the second period when we were trying to dig out a result an found ourselves under pressure."
"It was just a game too far and we couldn't respond. Bournemouth played well but we were well below par. It was a tough afternoon. We weren't ourselves in possession or out of possession. If you can't do that at this level, it will be a difficult day. When we are under fatigue and stretched, we usually respond better. We need to dust ourselves down and come back in strong”.
“Nick Pope made some great saves for us, and he needed to as we were leaking chances. Jamaal Lascelles did great in the air too, but I don’t think there were too many bright sparks. We were well off it.
Howe also spoke of the injury situation and the impact on his squad as a whole, saying: "We have a whole host of players, and we need them back as soon as we can. We have a busy December as well so it's not a good mix but something we have to get used to.
"The break has come at a good time for us, but I don't necessarily think it will bring a flood of players back. We have long-term injured players. Hopefully we can get one or two back, while Bruno (Guimaraes) was suspended at a bad time.
"We didn't have the options on the bench to change things and Miggy (Almiron's) injury made things even harder. There's no criticism of the young guys who came in today, but it was a tough environment for them. We suffered the consequences.
"In an ideal world, there were a couple of players we'd have liked to have brought off sooner than we did today and it's just a sign of how stretched we are.
Howe also confirmed that Callum Wilson won't travel with England. “He's going to be out for a number of weeks."
Howe also brushed over what at first looked like an unsavoury incident involving Kieran Trippier and a fan; sensibly putting a lid on the matter in the same way that Trippier did when he the media asked him to comment.
"I did see that, and I just think there is high emotion at the end of games. We really appreciate our away support. Everyone is valued and we're just disappointed with the result.
The defeat leaves Howe's side seventh in the table, four points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, who can extend their advantage when they play Brentford at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
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