Some interesting comments from this BBC Sport pundit on Eddie Howe and Newcastle United.
Chris Sutton speaking in the aftermath of the Champions League exit to Barcelona.
The BBC Sport pundit reflecting on what he witnessed, having been inside the Nou Camp himself.
Chris Sutton saying: “I was at Nou Camp on Wednesday and although the wheels came off spectacularly in the second half, the story of the tie is that for one-and-a-half legs, Newcastle competed really well against Barcelona.”
That for me, sums up exactly what happened across the 180+ minutes of this Champion League last 16 tie.
Chris Sutton though going on to warn: “Even so, that defeat leaves Magpies boss Eddie Howe in a similar situation to Liam Rosenior at Chelsea, where it is important that he has a strong end to the Premier League season to silence all his doubters. I still think we have seen enough from Newcastle over the course of this campaign for Howe’s job to be safe.”
I understand what the BBC Sport pundit is saying but I don’t think Liam Rosenior and Eddie Howe have comparable situations.
Eddie Howe has a spectacularly good body of work across more than four years at Newcastle United, where against all odds he has delivered two Champions League qualifications in his three full seasons, taken United to two cup finals, whilst winning a trophy for NUFC…the first the club has won in 56 years. It doesn’t make Eddie Howe immune from any criticism, it doesn’t mean he now has a job for life, regardless of what happens. However, even if these next eight Premier League games don’t go well, I think it would be foolish beyond belief to not allow Eddie Howe at least next season to get United back on track. Liam Rosenior is simply the latest stooge at Chelsea who has no say on anything, other than selecting the team and preparing them for games. He has resources far beyond what Eddie Howe has, a squad that is far stronger in depth to be able to potentially cope with playing so many matches, yet Rosenior looks so clearly out of his depth even with such advantages.
Put it this way. As a Newcastle United fan, imagine if at the end of the season we saw the NUFC owners replace Eddie Howe with Liam Rosenior? Enough said!!
Back to Chris Sutton and his Eddie Howe and Newcastle United analysis: “The glaring thing for me against Barca came after the game, watching their unused substitutes doing their running drills. Two of the subs were their big summer attacking signings, Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade. The fact they had a huge European tie and neither got on the pitch summed up their impact this season. So, I have massive sympathy for Howe about that, and how much losing top scorer Alexander Isak last summer has affected his team.”
The BBC Sport pundit hitting the nail on the head. Nick Woltemade is a complicated one, as he did really well the first three months in particular at Newcastle, scoring goals and getting assists, linking play up pretty well whilst at the same time having to adapt during a season to a new club, a new league and a new country. Yoane Wissa was injured before kicking a ball for Newcastle United and then has struggled to get properly fit after such a long time out and having zero pre-season with NUFC. Eddie Howe also having minimal time on the training pitch to work on integrating these two new strikers (and the other summer 2025 signings who had no pre-season at all, Anthony Elanga the exception who was signed in time to do so). I am not writing either of the two strikers off and will judge them after they have had a proper pre-season and Eddie Howe a chance to work and prepare with them.
The fact is as well, Wissa and Woltemade were NOT his first choices last summer, the Newcastle United owners failed to act quickly and Eddie Howe didn’t get Joao Pedro and/or Hugo Ekitike (as well as other key targets in other positions), who were towards the top of Howe’s list.
Anyway, what has been lost for many people, with Barcelona and the Champions League overshadowing everything, is that those two huge wins over Man U and Chelsea, have got Newcastle United on the up in the Premier League.
Ninth place currently, if making it three PL wins in a row on Sunday, things can then really open up with seven PL games left to play.
The BBC Sport pundit declaring: “This is a massive game for Newcastle, because they have got to pick themselves up and go again, against their biggest rivals. If they lose this too, you know people are going to hit Howe with that stick that he is not the right man to take the club forward. They lost at Stadium of Light before Christmas, when Woltemade scored an own goal, so they simply cannot let the Black Cats do the double over them. Sunderland’s form has dropped off in the past few weeks and it does look like they are fizzling out, but the question is whether Newcastle can find the energy to see them off. I think they will.”
For all managers, they will eventually be judged on winning and losing football matches.
Having managed with only 10 men to win against third placed Man U, then win away at Chelsea who were fifth top, this is a must win game against Sunderland in many ways.
It isn’t a case for me that if Newcastle United don’t beat the Mackems, then that equates to Eddie Howe having to be replaced, far from it.
However, Sunday is a must win I think, if we are to see the season end with a surprising Premier League huge positive, Europa League qualification or even possibly, if everything falls right…Champions League football for a third time in four seasons.
Chris Sutton predicts a 2-0 win for Newcastle United and I fancy Eddie Howe and his team to win for sure.
Sunderland have only scored more than one goal in a game on two occasions in their last 20 matches, whilst in only one of their last 12 home Premier League games have Newcastle failed to score two or more goals.