Newcastle United manager verdict after Sunderland nightmare
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe's future has come under scrutiny
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Newcastle United's derby disaster at the hands of bitter rivals Sunderland again brought questions about Eddie Howe's future at the club.
The manager who just 12 months ago led the Magpies to their first domestic trophy in 70 years has come under increased scrutiny this season. After a tough summer and £250million spent, Newcastle sit in 12th position and look set to miss out on European football after a series of inconsistent displays.
PIF look set to make a decision on the next steps for the club once the season has finished, but our Newcastle experts have had their say on Howe's future and what should happen next.
Lee Ryder
Changing manager with seven games left would be a major call by Newcastle United chiefs and from what I understand it's something they have not planned for, so they would be starting the search from scratch.
The plan in place is that Eddie Howe, Ross Wilson and David Hopkinson get their first crack at a summer window and pre-season planning unless there is a decision from the powers that be in PIF. Few can predict what PIF are thinking.
My own view is that Newcastle should battle on with Howe and his staff in the final seven games and give them the chance to perform and deliver a European place. Then it would be on to the summer.
Howe has credit in the bank but that won't last forever and there can be no excuses for the poor game management this season and two derby defeats. Going out the domestic cups to Man City is no disgrace nor is losing to a world-class Barcelona side.
But Newcastle's Premier League position is not good enough and failure to qualify for Europe at all would leave the board with a bigger decision to make this summer.
Howe's future lies in the balance. And regardless of last season's Carabao Cup victory, a lot of fans online and on the streets feel that things have reached an unsatisfactory level.
Sean McCormick
Eddie Howe got a lot wrong in the derby defeat to Sunderland. His team selection and his changes from the bench left a lot to be desired and there was a definite shift from social media noise to discontent on the terraces in the wake of Sunday's loss at St James' Park.
He also isn't immune from criticism this season and, put simply, Newcastle shouldn't be in the bottom half of the Premier League table with seven games to go.
There are mitigating circumstances, of course. The summer recruitment has left a lot to be desired, Alexander Isak wasn't sufficiently replaced, but what top club is in a situation where they are performing said business without a CEO or a sporting director in place?
And it's also easy to forget that Howe guided Newcastle to the Carabao Cup win and a Champions League place after a summer where the club's marquee signing was Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer.
I believe Howe has earned the right to finish the season and to be given a summer transfer window working alongside CEO David Hopkinson and sporting director Ross Wilson. I also think he has the capability of guiding Newcastle to a strong finish in the league, now they are out of all the other competitions and have sufficient training time to prepare for games and improve players.
But the pressure has undoubtedly been turned up a notch to do that and the minimum expectation between now and the [end of the season is qualifying for European football.](http://Newcastle United eye European reprieve, Yoane Wissa frozen out and Eddie Howe makes "crazy" claim)
How Newcastle end the season will be key and there has to be a reset and a renewed charge after the international break and hopefully the three weeks between now and their next game at Crystal Palace can give them that.
Andrew Musgrove
Eddie Howe has earned the right to try and weather the storm that is currently lashing down over St James' Park.
He's accepting of the criticism - and given how 2026 has gone, it's refreshing United have a manager who is willing to take the punches and accept it hasn't gone to plan. However, United have lost games this season in the same manner far too many times, and the Sunderland defeat was very much the same as losses to Brentford or West Ham. That rinse and repeat nature, does Howe no favours.
Howe isn't going anywhere, I think he'll be here next season too but he needs to show in the remaining seven games - especially now he has time to be on the training pitch - that he can learn from the mistakes and fix the issues that have dogged his side too often this season. If next season is going to be a success, then this campaign needs to finish on a strong note.
Ross Gregory
Eddie Howe is not an elite manager. But then, Newcastle United aren't an elite-level club (yet) and the squad doesn't contain elite players. It's a club with the eighth-highest wage bill in the Premier League which has consistently punched above its weight for the last four years.
That's down to one man, and one man alone. Howe. A superb man manager, a committed and talented coach, someone who buys into the region, the club, past and present. To talk about getting shot of him after one below-par season - a campaign that has been inconsistent and muddled from the off but which has also seen a cup semi-final and a fantastic Champions League experience - is ludicrous in my opinion.
Equally ludicrous is putting the blame for last summer's recruitment squarely at Howe's door. The issues experienced in that period are as clear to see as the nose on your face. The Isak bombshell; no sporting director to lead transfer negotiations; no CEO. Newcastle had to gamble on a handful of signings and some haven't worked out, at a huge cost.
This feels like the end of an era for this Newcastle team. The Carabao Cup-winning side's time has passed, and some players should be shipped out. Howe, however, should not be. I'm not saying he is immune from criticism over recruitment, tactics or other elements but the greatest manager in Newcastle's modern history deserves a chance to learn from the errors of the past and build his second great team.
Stuart Jamieson
There are big questions anyone arguing for Eddie Howe's removal should answer: Who would replace him? Who would you rather trust Newcastle United's future to? His time at St James' Park will end at some stage, but it should not be now.
Yes, the Premier League form has been poor, but this thin squad is on its knees after playing 51 games this season. United are competing with the elite, but PSR has meant they don't have the resources to challenge them on a equal footing.
Last summer, Howe was hamstrung by Alexander Isak's transfer stance and while the signings of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa were bad moves, they were backed into a corner and had to act fast.
Injuries effect all teams - and Sunderland were missing key men on Sunday - but Newcastle had to go into battle again without their best two midfielders in Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. The squad is simply not strong enough to cope without them for any length of time.
There is plenty for Howe to address, but he should be given time to do just that. He was the man who dragged the club from a relegation battle, took them to the Champions League twice and won the Carabao Cup. I wouldn't want anyone else to lead the next stage of Newcastle's progress.