This Newcastle United season has not been good enough.
The results and performances in the league, as well as losing two derbies, are not things to be proud of.
However… we reached a Carabao Cup semi-final, an FA Cup last 16 and the last 16 of the Champions League. We lost in those competitions to Man City and Barcelona, who may well win their respective leagues.
While Eddie Howe would be the first to admit that performances and results in the league have been nowhere near good enough, I don’t believe he can be solely blamed as the issue.
Last summer, Eddie wanted to go into this long campaign with his new players in early. Alexander Isak ended up being sold and we brought in lower choice signings far too late.
This isn’t down to the manager, there are countless other people involved in the finances and transfers. Critically, PSR/SCR is preventing this club (and any club outside of the established top six) from being able to grow and compete.
Villa will get Champions League, then they’ll have a less successful domestic league season next year, as they won’t be able to build a squad to compete with the competitions and PSR/SCR.
Newcastle United fans have a right to an opinion, to not be happy, but some have short memories.
Eddie Howe came in and saved us from what lookedan inevitable relegation, before giving us Champions League football (twice) and a trophy.
There are no actual Toon fans who wouldn’t have accepted where we are now, if offered it when Newcastle were 19th, winless and five points from safety in the winter of 2021.
Eddie Howe has always spoken, and acted, in an incredibly respectful manner, a far cry from many of the characters who preceded him.
There is a vocal section of fans calling for Eddie’s head, but there is also a quieter section who don’t believe he’s entirely at fault and, at the very least, deserves longer to try to rectify things. A proper summer of rebuilding with an actual functional Newcastle United pre-season would be nice.
Whatever happens, fans should closely monitor PSR and the impending SCR, because this is the real reason why Newcastle United lost Alexander Isak, why NUFC lost out on so many top targets (who signed elsewhere for far higher wages) in the transfer market. This impacts how many players we can bring in, the quality of them and the wages we’re able to offer them and existing players.
If Eddie Howe does go, and you were calling for his head, at least remember where you stood on the subject later, as the grass isn’t always greener.
I worry that a sacking of Eddie Howe would be to lose one of the top assets we have, then replacing him with a never-ending cycle of short-term hopes.