Anthony Gordon comments pile on the pressure for Eddie Howe's free-falling Newcastle

The international break could not have come at a better time for Newcastle United.

A thumping loss to Barcelona in the Champions League followed by late derby heartbreak against Sunderland has resulted in Newcastle’s season quickly becoming a disaster.

Newcastle forward Anthony Gordon let his feelings be known following Sunday’s defeat to Sunderland, criticising the way his team dropped off in the second half after he put the Magpies 1-0 up at St James’ Park.

“It was not good enough really, no excuses,” Gordon said on the club’s television channel.

“We were good for 45 minutes, which has been the case too often this season - we actually knew going into the game and had been trying to work on it.

"A not good enough start to the second half and they were the better team [in the] second half."

Howe admits second half performances are a concern

Newcastle’s gameplan has been clear to see in recent weeks. Flying out the traps at kick off, they often surprise their foes and get rewarded.

The Magpies have scored all their goals in the last three games between the 10th and 30th minute, but if Newcastle want to get ahead early, then they need to control matches to seal the three points.

A failure to kill off matches is haunting them, and the drop off against Sunderland will have been a hard one take. Not only did it happen at St James’ Park where the Geordies were in fine voice, but it also extended Newcastle’s winless Premier League run in this particular fixture to 11 matches.

The pressure on manager Eddie Howe is increasing by the week, and his post match interview saw him attempt to dismiss notions that his team are tired, but he did acknowledge that Newcastle’s fading performances are becoming a problem.

“I felt we were in control of that game in the first half, it was a really strong start,” Howe told Match of the Day.

“In the second half, you could see physically that we did fade away, but our technical performance was loose. It gave them a lot of hope and a lot of confidence.”

What has happened to strikers Woltemade and Wissa?

The absence of Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Lewis Miley in midfield means Newcastle do lack the control needed and extra technical flair to win matches, but a more worrying issue is up front.

Striker Nick Woltemade hit the ground running when he arrived in the summer, but his form has fallen off a cliff, and for some reason is now being played in midfield while Gordon spearheads the attack.

Howe not using a striker in their natural position is a bizarre tactical decision. Yes, Gordon is in great form, but surely having someone who is as unique as Woltemade, a physical centre forward who is good with his feet, would give Newcastle a myriad of options if matches are not going their way.

Then there is Yoanne Wissa. After a drawn-out transfer negotiation in the summer, and a knee injury, he is yet to feature consistently and finds himself on the bench for Newcastle.

Howe and Newcastle have three weeks now to ponder how to restore some confidence in a team which are in danger of limping to the end of the season.

Sitting 12th in the table, and potentially seven points away from a Champions League place (coefficient depending), Newcastle can make up ground, but Howe needs to find a way to make the Magpies a team which does not shrink when the going gets tough.

The talent is there, but if frustration is creeping in with noteworthy players like Gordon voicing their concerns, then Howe could find himself fighting for his job if some form of European football is not returning to the North East next season.

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