Eddie Howe still has a lot to fight for as Newcastle United boss with the next four games deemed as crucial
Eddie Howe(Image: Newcastle United via Getty Images)
Newcastle United expect Eddie Howe to complete the season as head coach after crunch meetings with the PIF hierachy at Matfen Hall.
The former AFC Bournemouth manager was scheduled to lead the team in the finale of the 25/26 Premier League season as internal plans announced he was to face the Press for the games against Brighton, Nottingham Forest, West Ham and Fulham. The Magpies could still salvage a top 10 or even European place in the final four if they can stop the rot.
Newcastle have not tasted a Premier League win since being dumped out of Europe by Barcelona in March at the Nou Camp during an 8-3 aggregate defeat in the Champions League. With confidence knocked, and the absence of skipper Bruno Guimaraes for 12 matches due to a hamstring injury and then mumps, a bid for Europe again next season collapsed as United slipped from sixth to 14th in the table, heaping pressure on Howe.
But only last week, and before the PIF delegation touched down on UK soil, Howe was offered backing behind the scenes with a message that he still “retained support” from club chiefs. The question was, how could he be aided to fix the problems that have resulted in 16 Premier League defeats including two losses against newly promoted Sunderland.
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Howe’s wish is to drive the team forward into pre-season and rethink plans for the 2026/27 campaign although he accepts that he will have a different budget compared to last summer. He will also be likely to lose a couple of stars with Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Tino Livramento on a list of possible high profile sales, although not all of them will go.
Money will be made available to spend but he will look to keep stars like Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade as he looks to make the pair a success. The £124m spend on the pair has gone under the microscope but both stars want to stay next season and find their best form.
Howe has known for over 12 months though that PIF’s preference is to buy players who are in the younger bracket and have sell on value. That, however, is all for the future and what is important now is how the team finish a season that started with so much hope.
At the start of the campaign, and despite Alexander Isak’s £125m sale to Liverpool, the aim was still to get into a European place at least. And there was a feeling that Newcastle could challenge for one of the domestic cups but that was until Newcastle were drawn against Manchester City in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup.
Ahead of a summer that will be dominated by World Cup talk, with valuations of some Newcastle stars potentially set to rise, Toon chiefs are braced for a complex June, July and August in which a lot could change.
Howe still has good will behind the scenes but it feels like no major decision can be made on his future until this campaign is done and dusted.
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