Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has been branded a ‘gatekeeper’ manager by Simon Jordan, who believes he could be sacked despite his team’s success this term.
The Magpies have the chance to end a 70-year major trophy drought on Sunday when they face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final – their second in three seasons.
They are also firmly in the race for Champions League qualification, sitting just two points outside the top four in sixth place as things stand.
However, talkSPORT presenter Jordan does not believe that Howe is the right man to turn Newcastle from European football chasers to Premier League title contenders and expects a change of manager.
“I’ve always said, and I don’t make any apologies for this, I said this to him when I spoke to him, is that I’ve always felt [Howe] is the gatekeeper.
“You had such luminaries like (Alan) Pardew who took exception to that. He didn’t understand what I meant. Ultimately, it’s very unlikely that the lofty ambitions of the Saudis, who didn’t buy Newcastle so they can win the League Cup, they want to win the Premier League and Champions League.
“They will take the League Cup in the meantime because it will mean so much to the fans. My perception was that Eddie might be very valuable and deservingly rewarded for achieving something at Newcastle, which is getting a good side, a team that is really competitive in the Premier League and who people actually like to watch.
“But is he going to win something for Newcastle? Maybe he will win the League Cup on the weekend but I don’t see Newcastle, not because of Howe but because of the restrictions put upon their ability to spend… That might well mean that Eddie becomes a casualty in 18 months, knocking on the door of the FA’s building to take over from Thomas Tuchel.”
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Jordan also criticised the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), suggesting that the regulations have wrongly hindered Newcastle’s progression since the Saudi-backed PIF takeover of the club.
“I’d like to think that the governance of the game changes so that, when you have this sustainability argument, I don’t know how anyone can keep a straight face and argue that the people who own Newcastle aren’t sustainable,” he added.
“They have people who have more money than God, who are quite prepared to fund them. It’s a nonsense, stupid government argument that’s actually unwinding some of the best parts of the Premier League.”
Eddie Howe was considered for England job – sources
TEAMtalk correspondent Fraser Fletcher reported back in July last year that Howe was one of the Football Association’s top targets to replace Gareth Southgate as England manager.
The suggestion from sources was that Howe would consider leaving Newcastle to take charge of the Three Lions – something that’s a long term ‘dream’ of his.
However, Howe’s full focus for now is on Newcastle and the opportunity to manage England may not re-emerge for a number of years, with Thomas Tuchel in post for the World Cup.
Howe’s contract with Newcastle, meanwhile, runs until 2027 and it remains to be seen whether Newcastle opt to go in a different direction ahead of next season.
IF Newcastle win the Carabao Cup and secure Champions League qualifcation, it would be a major shock for the Magpies to part ways with him.
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