Magpies must improve - and not just away from home...

SJP FORM HAS ALSO BEEN BELOW-PAR

- By STUART JAMIESON Regional football editor [e-mail]

Eddie Howe is all smiles after the Champions League victory at home against Athletic Club - his side have enjoyed better fortunes at St James' Park this season, but it has been far from plain sailing

THE bare facts make for grim reading. In 2025, Newcastle United have picked up just four Premier League victories on the road, and two of them were against sides that went on to be relegated in Southampton and Leicester.

There have been successes in cup competitions, most notably the two Carabao Cup wins over Arsenal and Liverpool that made last season so memorable, as well as the 4-0 Champions League victory against Union Saint-Gilloise this season.

By contrast, Eddie Howe's side have won six of their last seven games on home soil in all competitions, and have only narrowly lost to Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona at St James' Park this term.

It's hardly the stuff of crisis, yet the narrative of that away form will only disappear once United finally end their dismal run.

In the Premier League, United go to Everton next ... and then it's that derby date with Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on December 14.

The issue has caused plenty of debate in recent days, with talk-SPORT's Simon Jordan and Martin Keown focusing on United's away form this week.

Former Palace owner Jordan insists the problems should not be overblown at this stage of the season, but stressed Howe must address the disparity between home and away performances.

"Let's not turn it into a crisis because they've just won the EFL game against Spurs," he said.

"So, they're in the quarterfinals of the League Cup, the one they're defending, they're going reasonably well in the Champions League.