Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe's position will be reviewed by Newcastle. (Image: Getty Images)
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Newcastle will conduct a significant performance review at the end of the season, during which the club's hierarchy will evaluate Eddie Howe and his coaching staff's efforts. With seven matches remaining, the 2025/26 season, which once held such promise, could yet peter out into a lower-half finish with no European football in sight.
Just a fortnight ago, pre-season preparations were being made, with sporting director Ross Wilson and CEO David Hopkinson considering a European pre-season tour and a substantial transfer budget for Howe. However, following a distressing week that saw a 7-2 thrashing by Barcelona and a 2-1 defeat to Sunderland, there has been a shift in mood among the fans.
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This is no longer merely online dissatisfaction; supporters expressed their frustration audibly in the stadium after the loss to Sunderland.
It's worth noting that this reaction was relatively mild compared to incidents in 2014 when Alan Pardew had season tickets hurled at him and a fan had to be restrained.
Last season's Champions League qualification and Carabao Cup victory should not be overlooked and provides Howe with some leeway. However, that goodwill is rapidly dwindling among certain sections of the fanbase.
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With a three-week break, word from Saudi Arabia last night suggested that PIF executives, including Yasir Al-Rumayyan, will consider Wilson's and Hopkinson's opinions. They will steer PIF for now, but the reality is that more significant questions may be directed towards Howe in the summer.
After investing £700m, Newcastle, in their fourth complete campaign since the takeover, ought to be at least competing for a Europa League place and domestic silverware. During that period, Sunderland have climbed from League One, and whether Newcastle want to accept it or not, they are not currently the North East's top team in terms of league standing.
Howe claimed that PSR was impacting Newcastle and also referenced the sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool at the beginning of the season. But for some supporters that won't be acceptable. Howe also insisted that he would not resign from his position.
A look up at Hopkinson as Anthony Taylor blew for full-time against Sunderland, and perhaps the season in terms of being even a modest success story, was revealing. Hopkinson appeared like a man lost in contemplation, deeply troubled by the way the season is fizzling out.
Eddie Howe frustrated during defeat to Sunderland.
Eddie Howe frustrated during defeat to Sunderland. (Image: Getty Images)
Al-Rumayyan has discussed being 'No 1' previously but the Magpies are far from that position at the moment. Hopkinson wants Newcastle to be world-class by 2030, but it will require extraordinary effort and investment to get there by then.
Howe said: "The rules have made it very difficult to have momentum to go with the speed it (the club) initially went with.
"I don't know a way we can beat that system. We have to follow the rules that are set, the club desperately want to be ambitious but there is a limit to what we can spend.
"That has a knock on effect on everything we do. To not recruit for that many windows, I don't know a team that would not suffer from that. We certainly have, and then losing Alexander Isak last summer was a considerable blow. But again we can't feel sorry for ourselves and use excuses.
"We have to find a way to be successful despite all of those things. But with that there has to be an understanding of the type of conditions we are under."
Howe continued: "Every transfer window is so, so important. And unfortunately for us we have had some difficult windows where we haven't recruited. Last summer was tough to say the least, it is the hardest transfer window I have ever had, so of course we don't want to lose momentum.
"We want to bring the best players to the club and not lose our best players. So that combination is so important but it becomes more challenging for us because we don't have the revenues of the other clubs.
"I don't know how many times I can say it. All we can do is accept the criticism. Whatever words you want to use, I am not going to challenge them. We have to develop."