BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 11: Newcastle United Manager Eddie Howe is seen prior to the … [+]
The sight of Kieran Trippier arguing with a fan after Newcastle United’s 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth reflected the growing frustration around the club. The Magpies have struggled for consistent form this season with the loss at Vitality Stadium their worst performance of the campaign so far. It was understandable that supporters were unhappy.
“It was a game where we just couldn’t be where we needed to be, it was a tough watch,” admitted Eddie Howe after the match. “We were unrecognisable today to how we can be and how we have been for such a long period. A real off day and there are reasons for it. I don’t want to make excuses but I do want to support the team.”
Newcastle United’s English defender #02 Kieran Trippier (C) argues with a supporter as Newcastle … [+]
Newcastle have won just two of their last six matches in all competitions. They are slumped in seventh place in the Premier
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Last season, Howe led Newcastle to a top four finish in what was a gross overachievement. Even after the Saudi Arabian-backed takeover of 2021, nobody expected the club to be in the Champions League this year. Most expected it would take them longer to reach the top of the European game.
Howe deserves a lot of credit for how he has built up Newcastle United in such a short space of time. Only two seasons ago, the Magpies were battling against relegation, so to be in the Champions League this season represents an incredible achievement. This, however, could end up costing Howe.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 04: Newcastle United players form a huddle prior to the … [+]
Having qualified for the Champions League, Newcastle United will surely want to establish themselves at that level. If Howe is struggling to do that, the club could feasibly make a managerial change. Howe could become a victim of his own success. The pressure is on the 45-year-old.
Big clubs have big managers and Howe doesn’t have the gravitas of some of his Premier League peers. It’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Newcastle United, with their newfound status in the sport, could enter the managerial market to find someone who can deliver their grand ambitions as a club.
There has already been some speculation around Howe’s job, although nothing has been firmed up in the English press. Newcastle United aren’t expected to make a change any time soon, but the busy winter period could be crucial for them and their manager. The Magpies must find some more consistency over the coming weeks and months.
