The travelling support made their feelings clear at the Etihad
Newcastle players and staff clap the fans following the Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Man City
Newcastle United players and staff clap the fans following the Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Man City
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It was surely one of the most disappointing nights in Eddie Howe's tenure as Newcastle United manager as the dream of back-to-back Carabao Cup triumphs slowly died.
Amid a disappointing Premier League campaign so far, the cups have offered Howe some solace. The first manager to win the club a domestic trophy in 70 years, he had guided United to within a step of a return to Wembley, only for his side to come unstuck against Manchester City.
A place in the knockout stages of the Champions League has already been secured but 13 months on from that historic Wembley triumph, the critics have been sharpening their blades. An element of the fanbase believes Howe may have taken the club as far as he can.
Not, it seems, the hardcore who travel around the country supporting the team. With Newcastle 5-0 down on aggregate last night, the chant went up in support of Howe. It wasn't missed by the TV audience and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher.
"You can hear the chant from the Newcastle end," Carragher enthused. "Eddie Howe's black and white army. He's still got their support, and rightly so."
To be fair to PIF and the Newcastle hierarchy, there has never been any suggestion that Howe is under pressure. On the contrary: he enjoys an excellent working relationship with both Ross Wilson, the sporting director, and CEO David Hopkinson.
Speaking just a few hours before the Etihad Stadium misery, Hopkinson spoke enthusiastically about his manager when asked if there was any concern he may be tapped up by England after the World Cup.
"Look, Eddie has been a phenomenal partner to me since the day I met him, he certainly seems like a man very focused on what he’s doing at Newcastle," he said.
"His work rate is incredible. I really like the partnership I have with him… Eddie consistently indicates to us how happy he is here.
"I see someone operating with high conviction, and look, I’m someone who pays a lot of attention to what people say, but I also pay a lot of attention to what they do, and I see someone very leaned in and very focused.
"I’m really happy with the job he’s doing."
That Howe retains the support of his employers and the majority of the fanbase is telling as Newcastle dig deep to salvage something from their season. There's still a lot to play for and after two Champions League campaigns and a cup triumph it could again be a memorable one for the manager, players and supporters.
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