The external pressure is mounting on Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe.
The external pressure is mounting on Howe after Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace saw the Magpies slide to 14th in the Premier League table with only six matches left to play.
Howe has guided the club to its first domestic trophy in 70 years and twice secured Champions League qualification during his four years in charge but this season has overseen a sharp decline.
United are 10 points off the Champions League qualification places and five points below a Conference League spot. Although they lost star striker Alexander Isak last summer, £250million was spent to improve the squad.
What David Hopkinson has said about Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United future
Last month, Newcastle chief executive David Hopkinson insisted he didn’t have a stance on Howe’s future and would only talk about the future “when it’s time”.
When it was suggested he left Howe’s future open, Hopkinson replied: “I would not frame it that way. We are not looking to make a change at the moment. We are not having those conversations. We are still in the midst of the season.
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“Right now we are focused on the seven matches we have remaining and not distracting ourselves with speculation about what we may or may not do in the summer.
“Right now, all of us have only got so much bandwidth and we are focused on this season and finishing strongly.”
Eddie Howe retains the support of Newcastle United owners
Despite the outside noise, The Athletic reports that Howe still retains the support of the club’s owners and hierarchy, with all parties intending to ‘evaluate’ the managerial situation in the summer.
Howe, for his part, told reporters last week that “nothing’s changed” from his side and that he feels supported by Hopkinson and sporting director Ross Wilson.
“There have certainly been no fallings out,” Howe said. “I’ve got a very good relationship with Ross and David. We’re plotting to try and take the club forward in the smartest way possible.
“I’ve had really good support from both of them and they are the key figures I work with day to day at the club. We’re all totally aligned on what we need to do. The long-term prospects for the football club, I think, are really strong.
“But certainly these seasons we’ve experienced previously, we’re probably ahead (of schedule). Not all the forces are with us. We’re going to have to act really smart and try to outperform the budget to hit the levels that everyone wants.
“What do I need? Just that, I need support. Good working relationships with the people around me. A feeling of being able to express myself in the best way possible so you see the best version of myself. If I feel that, and the club feels that, then they’re getting the best manager they can from myself.
“Obviously, if that’s not working for whatever reason, on both sides, then it’s best for the football club… which is the most important thing in all of this, that is Newcastle United, not me or anybody else, it’s Newcastle. I will always reflect that in my decision making. I will put the club before anybody.”
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