The outspoken Simon Jordan has defended Eddie Howe and admits he was wrong about the Newcastle United manager previously.
Eddie Howe has been under fire in recent weeks following a poor run of form, but the pressure has subsided following the FA Cup victory over Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby.
Newcastle blew a 2-1 lead to lose 3-2 to Manchester City at the weekend, rekindling some resentment. Howe’s team was chastised for sitting back after causing them so many issues by pressing high and getting in their faces.
Newcastle were unable to reproduce that in the second half and sat deeper and deeper, finally leading to Kevin De Bruyne’s goal and assist turning the game around.
Newcastle is now tenth, with the FA Cup potentially their greatest hope of returning to Europe. Given that we qualified for the Champions League last season, this is not ideal.
There has been a significant decline in attendance from Newcastle, but Simon Jordan insists Eddie Howe is doing a ‘great job’ at St James’ Park.
Eddie Howe is a fan of Simon Jordan at Newcastle.
Jordan discussed Howe with former Newcastle manager Graeme Souness on TalkSPORT’s official YouTube channel.
“I like him,” he said.
“I made previous observations about him that proved to be incorrect because I believe he has done a fantastic job and what he’s brought against what he’s returned against the spirit he’s created and the ability for the team to operate at a high level.”
“They were very unlucky in the Champions League, in my opinion.” I believe you stated they weren’t good enough, but aside from a penalty against PSG that should never have been given, I believe they would still be in Europe.”
Newcastle’s manager is doing an excellent job.
Jordan has previously stated that Howe is merely a stand-in for Newcastle, and that he will only take the club so far until the owners bring in a bigger name.
That type of accusation has been leveled frequently at Howe, but the club’s owners see him as a long-term manager at St James’ Park. The media must recognize this. The team is on the move, and Howe is in command.
Sure, this season has been a letdown so far. However, it has been packed with thrilling moments while narrow margins have worked against us.
As Jordan points out, we are no longer in Europe because of a shady penalty judgment in Paris.
Any criticism leveled at Howe this season must be viewed in perspective. With a variety of crucial players out of action, he has barely been able to make any substitutions since December. Yes, every team gets injuries, but Newcastle’s number of key players has been insane.
On Tyneside, all Howe has done is raise the club. He has upped expectations and gotten more than anyone could have expected from guys who were written off.
He’s doing a fantastic job, as Jordan says.
