Newcastle's attack struggles with long balls

Newcastle United sit at the bottom of the Premier League's Expected Points (xPTS) table. The high-risk tactical approach adopted under new head coach Matthias Jaissle leaves the team exposed during transitions. However, the biggest structural problem emerges when opponents push the team back.

The source of the problem is based on data shared by Twitter/X user @markrstats. The data looks at how Premier League forwards perform on long balls, comparing how often they make first contact with the ball against the team's possession retention rate. Newcastle's attacking options rank among the weakest in this comparison in the league.

According to the data, Matías Fernández-Pardo ranks lowest in the list for possession retention. He reaches an average of 2.8 long balls per 90 minutes, but Newcastle keep possession in positions he is involved in only 27% of the time. This means more than two-thirds of the targeted long balls end in a loss of possession.

Yoane Wissa's situation is even more pronounced. The forward from the Democratic Republic of the Congo makes first contact with only 1.2 long balls per 90 minutes, the lowest figure among the forwards assessed in the chart.

For comparison, it is useful to look at Sunderland. When Sunderland play a long ball from their own half and Brian Brobbey makes first contact, possession stays with Sunderland 79% of the time. The average rate for forwards is 53%. Calvert-Lewin is at 53%, while Delap sits at 38% in this table.