Eddie Howe was alone as he set off on Newcastle United's lap of appreciation. But it did not seem like it.

Not after the home support rallied around the head coach and his side with repeated chants of 'Eddie Howe's black and white army' after the final home game of the season, against West Ham, on 17 May.

That same chorus had rung out when players, staff and their families walked around the pitch after qualifying for the Champions League in 2023 and 2025.

But this particular reception, and the number of supporters who stayed behind at St James' Park, stuck with the Newcastle head coach following his most difficult season yet at the club.

It felt as if Newcastle had rediscovered a semblance of momentum in the final throes of a draining campaign after picking up seven points from a possible nine.

However, there was still one match left to play.

There was still time for some curious changes and an all too familiar reversion to type at Fulham on the final day as the limp visitors suffered a 17th league defeat of the campaign.

No wonder a few heads were bowed when players and staff trudged towards the away end at full-time following a 2-0 loss.

It felt like Groundhog Day.

"There have been a lot of bruises this season," Howe said.

That is an understatement.

It was hardly a surprise that, earlier in May, owners, executives and leading figures plotted how to bounce back during an annual summit in Northumberland.

"We are in a moment right now and they want to understand why, what we are doing about it and how to fix it," a senior source said.

Rather than reacting emotionally, though, those at the top have sought to address what has gone wrong with the help of thorough, dispassionate analysis.

Some big changes are coming and this squad will look different when next season kicks off.

There remains a gap in valuation between Bayern Munich and Newcastle, who will only sell on "our terms", but Anthony Gordon looks set to be among those to leave.

Factoring in potential outgoings, Newcastle could need a goalkeeper, full-back, midfielder and a couple of forwards as a bare minimum.

Having grown "frustrated" with recurring on-the-field issues he has been unable to solve, Howe said the club are "very clear" on what is required this summer after a disappointing 12th-placed finish.

It will take more than new faces alone, but Howe has pointed to examples of other clubs climbing the table following some smart recruitment in a single window.

As BBC Sport previously reported, the head coach has been viewed as part of the diagnosis and solution going into a crucial summer rebuild led by sporting director Ross Wilson.

In some ways that does not come as a huge shock.

This is the man who ended Newcastle's 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy only last season by winning the Carabao Cup.

But standards have fallen and there is a recognition internally that this season has not been good enough.

Just as you have never quite known what to expect from this team, the same is true of Howe, who has often been scrambling for a formula.

The bar needs to be reset following his worst domestic campaign yet at Newcastle.

"It's something we need to address and we need to address it very quickly," Howe said.

Newcastle have to rediscover their edge.

They were once notable for an ability to finish off the opposition. In 2024-25, no other team threw away fewer points than Newcastle (seven).

Howe could so often count on former striker Alexander Isak to open the scoring, net an equaliser or extend a lead, before his protracted £125m move to Liverpool, and fall back on a well-drilled group to see a game out.

By contrast, this season, leaky Newcastle have squandered the most points from winning positions (27) in the top flight and conceded the most goals (21) in the final 15 minutes of games.

A once fierce team have become flaky.

Unlike Europa League winners Aston Villa, who admittedly exited both domestic cups earlier than Newcastle, Howe's men struggled with the challenge of fighting on multiple fronts for so much of the season.

Although there were brief glimpses of belated evolution far too late in the campaign, the easing of the schedule in recent weeks has not led to a lasting turnaround, despite the players having increased training and recovery time.

It has been a real slog, the first time many in the dressing room have experienced a mentally-draining 58-game season.

"Bloody hell, it's not easy," a source close to one regular said.

Even the coaching staff did not feel they could truly savour victories at the height of it, wary a defeat a few days later could swing the momentum the other way.

Newcastle were never quite able to go on the sort of defining run they had enjoyed in years gone by, in a campaign where 71% of their league defeats were by a single goal. Howe needs to swiftly find a way to get back on the right side of those margins.

Season-ticket holder Liam Phillips feels a "reset" is required.

"He badly needs a good start next season," he said. "If Newcastle are not in the top six or seven in the first few games, I think the crowd will quickly turn.

"There has been a patience and understanding this season but if the team start badly after spending more money in the transfer market, I don't think people will be quite as forgiving."

Newcastle have to get this summer right following a turbulent window a year ago.

The club missed out on a host of first-choice targets; the majority of signings arrived too late; there was no chief executive or sporting director in place; and they ultimately buckled and sold Isak on deadline day after previously holding firm for so long.

Clubs such as Brentford and Bournemouth have rebuilt smartly after selling key players, but Newcastle have not seen enough of a return from a £100m-plus net recruitment drive that Howe was heavily involved in last summer.

Only defender Malick Thiaw has been an unqualified success.

Because of the relentless schedule between September and March, such signings have mainly relied on analysis sessions rather than physical work to adapt to the intensity, detail and structure of life under Howe.

Jacob Ramsey only had a brief window into Howe's sessions before the fixtures piled up and the midfielder was understood to have found the level of high-intensity running within the drills a jolt at first after being used to a more relaxed way of training, even under the demanding Unai Emery at Aston Villa.

It was a snapshot of the adjustment period so many new signings go through before they find their feet at Newcastle.

Howe hopes last summer's arrivals will be better for the experience as Newcastle look to reverse a trend moving forward.

Although the head coach has outperformed teams with bigger wage bills in years gone by, his side ended up floundering in the bottom half this time around.

Unlike bitter rivals Sunderland, who beat Newcastle home and away, Howe's men failed to qualify for Europe in a season where eight qualification spots were up for grabs.

Such a boom-bust cycle is unsustainable, but Howe previously thrived when he had had the luxury of extended clear periods to prepare for Premier League games throughout the season.

He has to again.

"Every experience makes you stronger and makes you appreciate the good times," the head coach added. "We will all try and come back a better team."