The current Newcastle United owners bought the club from Mike Ashley in October 2021, then after thankfully sacking Steve Bruce, Eddie Howe arrived in November 2021.
Some four and a half years on and fans are wondering about the direction of the club, what happens next.
Journalist Ian Ladyman has waded into the debate on Eddie Howe and the Newcastle United owners.
In my opinion, he has absolutely nailed it.
Ian Ladyman saying: ‘Among certain sections of the Newcastle fanbase, the debate about Eddie Howe’s future rages on. After defeat in the Tyne-Wear derby there are some who believe Howe should not be invited to continue beyond this season. It’s a ridiculous notion. Howe is the best thing that has happened to Newcastle for years and those who can’t see that may want to be very careful what they wish for. Howe has made Newcastle credible again.’
This has been a rollercoaster season of ups and downs, Newcastle United having played more games (51) than any other club in the major European leagues.
With 23 wins and 19 defeats (and nine draws), plenty results, positive and negative, to base an argument on.
Ian Ladyman going a step further: ‘Indeed, it is perhaps more appropriate to view the debate from the opposite side. Instead of asking whether Eddie Howe has done all he can for Newcastle, we should probably be talking about whether the club has anything more to offer one of the most talented managers in Europe.’
No manager has an automatic right to stay in the job, regardless of results.
However, I do think that the relative success Eddie Howe has brought to our football club, has blinded people to reality.
After saving the club from what looked like certain relegation when he arrived mid-season and inherited the mess that Mike Ashley and Steve Bruce had left behind, Eddie Howe then going on to deliver two cup finals, two Champions League campaigns, plus a trophy.
The journalist from The Mail stating: ‘Eddie Howe has developed a team that plays attractive football and has improved individual players such as Lewis Hall, Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and others. But as long as the Premier League’s financial rules stay in place and the longer the Newcastle owners take their time over building a new stadium, the longer a state of inertia threatens to settle over St James’ Park. And clubs that stand still effectively go backwards. Only an increase in revenue streams can propel Newcastle forward now and that only comes via a new stadium. Can Howe – 48 and coming towards the end of his fifth season in the north-east – really afford to stick around and wait for that?’
This is how I think.
My belief is that whilst this season has been anything but perfect, the challenges that Eddie Howe has faced have been brutal, totally undermined by the Newcastle United owners.
The most important transfer window the club had faced under their control and the Newcastle United owners absolutely blew it. No CEO or Sporting Director in place last summer. Eddie Howe saying in May 2025 that it was essential that signings arrived ASAP so he could properly prepare the squad for such a huge season…but then only Anthony Elanga having a pre-season at his new club, the NUFC owners totally mishandling the Isak situation. The Newcastle United hierarchy failing to act quickly to secure Eddie Howe’s top targets, then selling Alexander Isak at the last minute and the Head Coach belatedly getting two strikers who have been nowhere near the top of his list and having to then integrate them (and the other new signings) in the middle of the busiest season ever for Newcastle United. Wissa getting injured immediately after signing, is the kind of bad luck that tends to happen when the club hierarchy have handled things so badly.
Ian Ladyman saying in the aftermath of the derby defeat, United’s 51st match of the season compared to it being Sunderland’s 35th: ‘It hinted at the fatigue that tends to come at the end of a hard run of games – Manchester United, Manchester City, Barcelona, Chelsea, Barcelona, Sunderland – when you don’t quite have the squad depth to cope. You only had to look at the way Hall – such a progressive presence for Newcastle at left-back this season – failed to track his runner as Sunderland won the game in the 90th minute to understand all of that. Not until Newcastle can offer regular Champions League football and the kind of wages paid by clubs in Manchester and London will Howe ever be able to take the club to where it wishes to go. Maybe it’s time for him to consider life elsewhere before patience on Tyneside runs out and he gets spat out anyway?’
This is the thing for me, I absolutely believe that Newcastle United (and their fans) are the ones that are so lucky to have Eddie Howe, not the other way round.
If he was replaced, the new manager would face the exact same huge challenges and inability to match the combined wages and transfer fee budgets of those clubs Newcastle United are trying to compete with, especially when you have a season where you are trying to compete in both the Champions League and the Premier League, plus domestic cup competitions. Unai Emery and Aston Villa facing the same kind of challenges, so difficult to qualify for the Champions League and then pretty much impossible the following season when you have the extra demands of being in the top UEFA competition.
The man from The Mail concluding: ‘If I was conducting a managerial search at Manchester United – where I remain unconvinced that Michael Carrick is the answer – Howe would be high on a list that should also feature Unai Emery of Aston Villa. Man U had an almighty fight getting sporting director Dan Ashworth out of Newcastle so any interest in Howe could soon get ugly. That’s no reason not to try, though.’
It gives me a sickly feeling just thinking of that scenario, where Eddie Howe ends up at Manchester United.
Both the fans and the Newcastle United owners need to back the best manager most of have seen in our lifetimes. Support him from the stands and get the new stadium built, same with the training complex, although there again, with it coming up to five years in charge, it would be at least a start if the Newcastle United owners made an announcement on these key infrastructure projects.