Newcastle controversy explodes as Nick Woltemade furious with latest referee

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has suggested he is willing to rip up his game plan at a moment's notice this season should circumstances demand it. The instant Fulham drew level through Sasa Lukic at St James' Park on Saturday afternoon, the boss instructed a group of substitutes to warm up, with several of his key men facing the axe.

Even goalscorer Jacob Murphy and impressive youngster Lewis Miley - who had both excelled - were denied additional time to rectify matters in the second period. England international Anthony Gordon also found himself hauled off late on as Howe opted for fresh legs.

To be fair, that flurry of bold decisions from Howe proved fruitful on a crisp autumn afternoon in Tyneside where Newcastle defeated Fulham 2-1.

Following the impactful contributions of William Osula and Anthony Elanga in Bruno Guimaraes' decisive strike, Howe remarked: "I thought those players coming on made a big difference. I was really pleased with the last 25 minutes. We were the dominant team and you're just hoping we take one of those chances and thankfully Bruno did."

Howe also believed Guimaraes late winner could transform the atmosphere ahead of this week's Carabao Cup quarter-final clash against Tottenham.

He added: "Yeah, I think it is. We've seen many times when you score late goals it's not just the game you've won that's affected, it's hopefully for us, the mood, the attitude when you're in that position again, there's more belief you find the winner. It has a big knock-on effect.

"Just like we had to battle the other way when we've conceded late so you have to battle that becoming a habit. To break that is really important."

Why the Nick Woltemade situation is getting beyond a joke

Stand-in official Bankes, who stepped in at the last minute for Tony Harrington, was jeered off the pitch at half-time.

It seems that Woltemade's imposing 6ft 6in stature is working against him with match officials, and despite being manhandled relentlessly, the German international isn't receiving fair treatment in the opening stages of his Premier League career.

Bear in mind the Professional Game Match Officials Limited had pledged to clamp down on shirt pulling, yet Woltemade's imposing build appears to have officials believing he ought to withstand additional rough handling from his markers.

The present instructions to Premier League referees are to watch for "extreme actions", including "dragging a player to the ground in a non-footballing way".

Minor tugs are being waved away - and it appears the treatment Woltemade is suffering is being dismissed as inconsequential.

This began earlier in the campaign when Woltemade was refused a clear-cut penalty at Bournemouth in the 0-0 stalemate on the South Coast.

Yet it has become a persistent issue and none of the division's match officials have yet taken a firm stance against it. Against Fulham, Woltemade found himself being yanked around by his shirt courtesy of Issa Diop and Calvin Bassey, with Bankes choosing not to take any action.

The jeers that rang out at half-time appeared warranted as a glaring loophole in the rulebook became apparent for Newcastle.

Woltemade wasn't the only victim, with Harvey Barnes also being dragged back by his shirt during the second period - a moment that only intensified the crowd's frustration as some supporters reacted furiously to the blatant inconsistency.

Fabian Schar marks significant achievement

The former Switzerland international had been forced to bide his time for his opportunity, aware that Malick Thiaw is currently amongst the most impressive defenders across both the Premier League and the whole of Europe.

Yet when Sven Botman endured a difficult moment against the Cottagers and had to be withdrawn, it paved the way for a landmark achievement that Schar may well have missed out on during Saturday's match.

That appearance represented his 200th Premier League outing for Newcastle, with Eddie Howe expressing his delight at his contributions.

He confessed following the match: "He's been an ever-present near enough since I've been here.

"Obviously the challenge is greater this season with the arrival of Malick and Sven's form and Dan's form. For all the defenders to step up and play is not easy with the group we have.

"I'm delighted with how he played and that will do him the world of good."