I would like to start this article by highlighting some of the achievements managed by Eddie Howe.
Season 2021-22: Took over in November 2021. Team went 14 games without a win from the start of the season (Steve Bruce era ending) and eventually finished 11th
Season 2022-23: Qualified for the Champions League and runners up in the League (Carabao) Cup
Season 2023-24: Beat PSG 4-1 in Champions League and held them to a draw in Paris. Held Milan to a draw away in the same competition. Reached the League (Carabao) Cup quarter-final stage. Ended the season a respectable 7th with European football taken away due to Man U’s unexpected victory in the FA Cup final against Man City. Beat Sunderland away 3-0 in the FA Cup and reached the quarter-final stage.
Season 2024-25: Qualified for the Champions League finishing 5th. Outplayed and beat the (then) extremely league dominant Liverpool 2-1 winning the League (Carabao) Cup, a first domestic honour in 70 years.
Season 2025-26: Reached the semi-final stage of the EL (Carabao) Cup. Reached the last 16 of the Champions League.
I accept that the failures against Sunderland and the capitulation in the second half against Barcelona as being pointers of doom, along with the 25 points (at time of writing) that Newcastle have dropped from winning positions which have all contributed to the Eddie Howe question this season.
It has been a poor season with supporters holding such terrible derby disappointment and a very likely European-less finish to crown off such a poor season. BUT (yes ‘BUT’ in huge letters), has it been forgotten that without Howe, our excitement was a relegation battle, usually ending in relegation. Then a promotion, then relegation battle with no direction or real support for a manager (even Pardew quit after a 5th place finish due to a lack of support).
I’m not saying Eddie Howe has got it right this season. He hasn’t. His players have looked a toothless frightened shadow compared to last season, bottling games and leaving opponents with no fear in most games. It has become predictable and unusually slow and methodical. Is that tactics, or shall we ask the question of players attitude?
Anthony Gordon continues to flatter to deceive. When he ‘turns up’ he can be the best player on the park. He just doesn’t seem to turn up often enough. Perhaps his head has been turned and he believes the hype about ‘how good he is’, when in fact he is very likely in danger of losing his England place to players with better attitudes.
Sandro Tonali continues to graft but seems to lack the confidence which was once so apparent. Perhaps Italy’s failures have weighed on him too much.
Tino Livramento in my opinion, appears to have had his head turned and seems to have forgotten the loyalty shown to him by Eddie Howe despite injury after injury this season.
I could, but won’t, go on. Simple fact is that many players this year have not played with the intensity or with the same freedom and confidence as last season. Winning a trophy was huge and sometimes expectation can be too much of a weight for immediate continued success.
My point. Eddie Howe can be afforded a poor season.
His players need to repay the loyalty shown to them by fans and management and the fans need to remain loyal to Howe and his very evident commitment to being successful at Newcastle. Very few in the footballing world could have predicted a team having been winless in 14 matches to survive relegation, have two cup finals, winning one and qualifying for the Champions League twice. The growth of the club under PSR has been painful but Eddie Howe and his staff continue to aspire beyond expectations and have overachieved with such a limited squad over this period of change. At the start of this season the least I expected was a cup run and a European qualifying finish. We’ve had the cup run, Europe is not impossible, although unlikely. However, relegation doesn’t feature in my thoughts anymore. That in itself is a stride forward.
I expect and hope that Eddie Howe is in charge next season and that the players he keeps and brings in, are ready to charge on and prove the doubters wrong next season. Howe must be afforded such a chance of redemption, or are we so shallow as fans that we forget the very recent past?
It’s only an opinion. A pub debate, watch a replay of the cup final as a reminder of what we can and will go on to achieve.
Howe-ay the lads.