Living in SW France certainly has its advantages when it comes to holiday breaks.
A 90 minute “Grande Vitesse” train ride to Paris, a similar time to drive out to the islands of the Charentaise coast or heading Northwards to the Loire Valley, three hours to some of the top French tourist attractions in the Dordogne or a slightly longer four hours down to San Sebastián and the fabulous Basque Country of Northern Spain.
The Mediterranean coast or the Channel are both a straightforward eight hour drive due South or North respectively.
For more distant destinations – especially our favourite, Italy – we fly and hire a car on arrival.
When planning such trips, I used to look at reviews for the hire companies in the hope of finding the best deal and most trustworthy outfit.
However, I quickly came to the realisation that this was a waste of time as almost the only people who put reviews on car hire sites do so to complain.
“What has this got to do with football and, specifically, Newcastle United?”, I hear you say.
Well it’s a similar situation to what I found on The Mag comments page, especially after the last game of the season – a rather limp and disappointing capitulation to a less than inspiring Fulham. An unseasonably hot afternoon with a very much end of season feel to the occasion. Eddie Howe, seemingly, more concerned with trying different formations than the actual result. Following that damp squib, the vast majority of posts on The Mag commenting section called for the manager’s head, on a scale ranging from fewmin’ outrage to reluctant resignation.
One poster commented the other day that this shows that the vast majority of fans want Eddie Howe out of the door. Is this true? A recent poll (17 April 2026) on The Mag showed a split 76%/24% in Eddie’s favour. I can see the disappointment of that Fulham display shifting a proportion of waverers into the “sack him” pile but surely not enough to make it the majority? So why is the tone of The Mag comments section so bleak? (ED: Thousands of Newcastle United fans voted in that poll, whereas less than 5% of those visiting The Mag on any particular day have ever commented on any article)
First and foremost, I have to say that there is a lot of justification for people to be unhappy. Despite some (easily forgotten) excitement in the various cups, it’s been a chastening and, in some respects, a humiliating season. We’ve failed to qualify for any form of European competition next season and have handed the Mackems bragging rights by virtue of their head to head victories and final league placings. This despite a healthy recruitment drive in terms of money spent, at least, last summer.
Season and match day ticket prices are steadily rising but fans are not seeing corresponding levels of progress on the pitch.
The Newcastle United owners keep telling the media how committed they are to the club but there is no detail forthcoming.
We THINK they’re committed to spending £200 million on a new “state of the art” training centre at Woolsington.
We THINK alternative plans are being drawn up for either a stadium refurb or a new build, possibly on Leazes Park.
We THINK the manager’s position is secure and he will be leading the playing side of the club into the 2026/27 season.
We THINK….
Because the owners don’t seem to want to communicate anything to the fans until it’s done and dusted. Like the purchase of Leazes Terrace, for example. Who knew that was happening and, now that it has, why? Until something is a “fait accompli” we have to rely upon reports from favoured journalists who claim to have been briefed by “sources close to the club.”
This doesn’t help the mood amongst the fans. In the face of uncertainty and lack of hard facts, imaginations can run wild. And in more turbulent times – as I found with the car hire companies – the darker side can dominate matters. Conspiracy theories flourish, pessimism abounds and everything seems to be about blame.
Should Eddie Howe go? He’s definitely lucky that the owners – the Chairman in particular, apparently (we THINK!) – have faith in him. At many other clubs he would be history after 17 Premier League defeats and being humiliated by the club’s bitterest rivals (this, I believe, has been the tipping point for many people).
In this respect, at least, we now have some solid proof of the club’s intentions through the words of the new CEO, David Hopkinson, in a recent interview,
“Eddie has got support from me and from Ross that is stronger than he had last summer …….. we now know which plan we’re executing and we’re executing it with the full conviction of the manager, CEO and sporting director all aligned.”
Is that faith well placed or proof of the lack of experience/naivety of an ownership not steeped in football as a business? I must say, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen clubs fire managers and thought to myself, “Why don’t they hold their nerve, show faith in the man they appointed and give them time to put things right?” Spurs were the latest case in point. I’m convinced that if they’d backed Thomas Frank and given him time to turn things around, he would have done so. But that’s just my opinion. No doubt the Spurs hierarchy have been congratulating themselves on getting it right after their last day survival (and hiring and firing Igor Tudor between Frank and De Zerbi!).
Looking back over the season, I have my criticisms of Eddie’s performance. We held the record for the number of points lost from leading positions. My post-match summary for Mrs Lass eventually devolved into, “usual story”! In other words, we took the lead then let the opposition equalise around the 88 minute mark and maybe score a winner after that. At least that’s how it felt to me by the end of the season. I know it ultimately comes down to players on the pitch but the manager also has to bear responsibility for the tactical set-up of the team, the mentality required to defend a lead and the substitutions necessary to handle changing circumstances.
However, I think Eddie deserves to be cut some slack and David Hopkinson clearly agrees. He refers to last summer’s ridiculous situation in which Eddie was seemingly fulfilling many of the functions of the CEO and the Director of Football whilst continuing with his already demanding role of Head Coach/manager. His call for early action in the transfer market came down in flames amid the emptying of key roles due to illness and desertion at the most crucial time – all exacerbated by the fiasco of RatGate!
For me, Eddie Howe also deserves the respect that his past record has earned. We all know the difference he made and how he changed the whole NUFC landscape with his work ethic, integrity, people skills, astute signings and inspirational coaching. Almost overnight, we became top 10 finishers, European campaigners, Wembley visitors and – the icing on the cake – trophy winners.
Yes, this season has – cup runs apart – been a disappointment but just think, If we were still under Mike Ashley we could have another 10 years of it to look forward to – without the European adventures and domestic cup runs!
As I’ve said elsewhere, it’s not good and I don’t think it’s an acceptable standard if it’s to be repeated. It’s been a poor league season BY EDDIE’s STANDARDS, which we have become used to and (thanks to him) now expect. But I believe he can put it right – given effective backing in the summer window – and, most importantly, that he’s earned the right to do so.
However, no one is inviolate (except the Chairman, perhaps!) and if improvement isn’t evident early doors next season then I expect Eddie will go. After the season we have had, he must have been called to account at Matfen Hall and have convinced the Powers That Be that he could turn things around. Surely, though, he will have been given notice that progress will be expected and that action will be taken if it is not evident after a reasonable span of games.
I think Eddie Howe has earned the right to sort things out, with the help of a proper transfer window and pre season, but is there by the skin of his teeth. He can point to the Alexander Isak fiasco and panic buys derailing the season before it got underway and a lack of depth in the squad but he has to take responsibility himself for what appeared to be lack of motivation/concentration leading to us dropping so many points from winning positions. I think he’ll be on short notice to get things clicking in the new season. One thing I’m confident of, though, is that he will jump before he’s pushed or, at least, any parting of the ways will be by mutual consent.
In Eddie I trust.
(PS To all of you thinking, “Oh God, another happy clapper on The Mag who thinks mediocrity and losing to the Mackems is acceptable!” please get clacking those keyboards and send the editor (send articles to contribute@themag.co.uk) your take on the situation for publication.)