Eddie Howe is playing a dangerous game over Newcastle star Federico Fernandez

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Newcastle United fans got a brutal reminder of how flaky the team’s defence is on Sunday.

The Magpies were put to the sword by a Leicester City side that did not even have Jamie Vardy on the pitch.

The 4-0 result means Newcastle have now shipped even more goals than Norwich City this term.

34 conceded in just 16 games is frankly, alarming.

The need for defensive reinforcements in January is very clear, and hopefully the new owners can come through and deliver for Howe.

It was interesting to see that Howe again overlooked Federico Fernandez against the Foxes.

Jamaal Lascelles admittedly did play well in the win over Burnley.

But Fernandez had excelled on his return against Norwich City in the game before. So there was a case for Lascelles not coming straight back in as a starter following his suspension.

But Howe brought him back in and he did well, and then Lascelles started against Leicester.

And the Foxes exposed his shortcomings. He was actually unlucky on the penalty decision, with James Maddison initiating the contact.

But Lascelles was poor for the rest of the game.

It is surely in the team’s best interests for Howe to get Fernandez back into the side. Keeping him on the bench will see Howe risk the wrath of the fans.

Eddie Howe must turn to Federico Fernandez amid fan demand

Steve Bruce’s handling of Fernandez was just bizarre, and many had hoped Howe’s arrival would mean an instant fresh start for the Argentine.

But that hasn’t been the case, and it’s a worry. He only featured against Norwich because a rejig was needed after Ciaran Clark picked up a red card. He then got just five minutes against Burnley.

The South American improves the Magpies at the back. He certainly doesn’t make the team worse.

Howe himself has talked up the 32-year-old, so why he hasn’t got him straight back in is perplexing.

The situation is precarious right now. Howe either needs to get ruthless with Lascelles, or change the system to get £47,000-a-week star Fernandez into that starting XI.

Either way, failure to act could see the fans start to get on the new manager’s back.