Eddie Howe has come under a lot of pressure as Newcastle United manager in recent months, and a crushing defeat to Arsenal hasn’t helped.
Newcastle have already lost more games this season than they did the entire previous season, and we are only in February, so understandably, questions regarding Howe’s position are being raised.
While the media continues to stir the pot, Fabrizio Romano claims in his weekly Daily Briefing that Newcastle understands Howe’s difficult season and has not contacted any other managers.
Newcastle are fully behind Howe
Newcastle have had a lot of sad outcomes this season, including being knocked out of the Champions League in the group stages and being eliminated from the Carabao Cup due to a last-minute blunder by Kieran Trippier.
But it’s crucial to remember how close they could have been to qualifying for both the European knockout rounds and the Cup semi-finals, which would have dramatically turned the season around.
Not only has Howe had some bad luck in games, but they also had some unexpected injuries in December and January, from which they have yet to fully recover.
Of course, questions should be raised about some of Howe’s selections, particularly in games where he may have delayed too long to make a substitution, but given the circumstances, he still has this squad in contention for a European position.
Regarding Howe, Romano stated, “As for Newcastle, the sense inside the club is that they’ve had a really bad season. Things were going well last season, but they’ve had a lot of injuries and were unable to sign fresh players in January owing to Financial Fair Play difficulties.
“For sure, things aren’t going well, but I’m not aware of any contacts with other managers right now. They know it’s been a difficult season for everyone involved, not just the manager.”
Howe has to find solution in final three months
While it appears that Howe will be given a summer window to try to turn things around, he must be very careful that this season does not slip away from him.
Newcastle are currently tenth in the Premier League following Wolves’ 1-0 victory against Sheffield United yesterday, with West Ham and Chelsea only a few points behind them.
With only 12 games remaining including an FA Cup fifth round meeting against Blackburn tomorrow, the Magpies must treat every game as a priority and give it their all to finish the season on a strong note.
Champions League is almost probably out of the question, but seventh place in the Conference League is still up for grabs and would be a nice prize to win after a disappointing year.
