They say history can tell us a lot about the future, and we reckon there could be something in the nature of Alan Pardew’s departure at Newcastle that might just ring true for Eddie Howe, too.
A lot has changed since Pardew was in charge at Newcastle United. That reign ended 11 years ago, and since then we’ve seen the Magpies endure another brief spell in the Championship, PIF take over the club, and that long wait for a trophy come to an end.
Convince me otherwise: Eddie Howe gave me my greatest day as a Newcastle fan but he has taken us as far as he can
DISCLAIMER: It's not all his fault, chaos behind the scenes and PSR does not help 😡
Despite a disappointing and very inconsistent run of results in December, 2025 will still go down as a brilliant year for the club and Eddie Howe will always be remembered as one of the great Newcastle United managers.
The fact of the matter is, Howe will leave the club eventually. Whether he is pushed or jumps ship remains to be seen, but the lifespan of a football manager is rarely long. Still, if we look at what happened after Pardew’s tumultuous exit, it might all work out for the best.
Newcastle United let Alan Pardew leave in 2014
On 29 December, 2014, Newcastle United gave Pardew permission to speak to Crystal Palace about the managerial job at Selhurst Park. By 3 January, 2015, he was gone.
That brought to an end a four-year spell as Newcastle boss during which time Pardew took charge of 184 matches for the Magpies.
Love him or hate him, there’s no denying Pardew had a great impact on Newcastle United. That fifth placed finish in 2011/12 was the best we had seen since the days of Sir Bobby Robson’s successful stint in the early 2000s.
In the years since Pardew’s exit, Newcastle took a massive hit in the form of that relegation in 2015/16. They bounced back, though, and are now enjoying perhaps their most fruitful era in decades with Newcastle now knocking on the door of the Big Six and having silverware to shout about.
It took some time, but losing Pardew wasn’t the end of the world for Newcastle. Sadly, the same will probably apply to Eddie Howe.
- READ MORE: Why Eddie Howe is reluctant to make the one change that could save Newcastle United’s season
Would Unai Emery have won a trophy as quickly as Eddie Howe if Newcastle appointed him in 2021 instead?
Don't forget, he was PIF's first choice!
Show your workings in the comments!
Is painful Eddie Howe call needed at Newcastle?
PIF have demanded progress at Newcastle, otherwise Howe will eventually lose his job. The manager has some credit in the bank thanks to last season’s Carabao Cup win, but how long that will last him remains to be seen.
One day, whether it’s sooner or later, Howe will leave the club. All managers do. And that will be a very painful day for Newcastle as a football club and for the fans, even the ones who are critical of Howe now.
But, change is necessary and can often lead to bigger and better things. Many have said that Howe has taken the club as far as he can already, and there is a belief that a new, elite manager will take Newcastle to the next level.
It will be difficult to find a suitable successor for Howe, but it has to be done, as painful as it may be.
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