Owen – who now represents Casino.org, a leading platform helping players find UK casino brands – is in no doubt that Newcastle have the right man filling their dugout, telling GOAL when asked about the surprising exit rumours: “I understand that Newcastle aren’t doing well at the moment, I get it. I get that there’s frustration.
“But is he the most successful manager? Well, he’s certainly the most successful manager in recent times. He’s brought silverware for the first time in donkey’s years. He’s got Champions League football. His hands are half tied because of these stupid rules of only being able to spend a certain amount of money.
“Here’s a person that you can search long and hard to find somebody that is proven, that’s an exceptional coach, that everybody really, really rates, that’s gone and won a trophy, that’s gone and had so much success, more success than Newcastle have had in a long, long time. And one season that’s not gone absolutely perfectly, but it’s no disaster. Go and have a look at Tottenham if you want to see a disaster! What planet are these people on?
“What will happen is if they parted company with Eddie Howe, he would turn up at a team like Man United or Chelsea or Liverpool or Man City or something, and Newcastle fans would be thinking: ‘Oh my God, we had him, he was our hero, he was a legend, one semi-quiet season and all of a sudden we hounded him out’.
“Now, I know not all Newcastle fans are thinking like that, but I mean, it baffles me beyond belief how people could be talking about things like this. Continuity, loyalty, things like that need to be pushed. And Newcastle have got one of the best managers in the Premier League. Be very, very, very, very careful. If you want him out, just be very careful. And I will have no sympathy for Newcastle next year if they pull the trigger, no sympathy at all.”