This is the time to back Eddie Howe and not sack him

The Mag

·27. Oktober 2024

This is the time to back Eddie Howe and not sack him

Eddie Howe watched on as his team lost at Stamford Bridge.

The manager can only do so much.

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Once they cross that white line, it is down to them.

It isn’t Eddie Howe who is failing to convert chances, making the wrong choices in the final third, gifting possession, making mistake at the back etc etc.

You can see how frustrated the Newcastle United boss is at the side of the pitch.

On another day Alexander Isak scores a hat-trick and United win, instead of his header hitting Reece James (who knew nothing about it) with the keeper beaten, plus rounding the keeper but getting caught in two minds and neither scoring nor laying it off for Sean Longstaff to do so.

If Newcastle had taken the chances they should have done against Everton, Brighton and Chelsea, then this Sunday night we would be third in the table and not twelfth. Though things are so tight and if United can beat Arsenal next weekend for the third time in four seasons at St James’ Park, Eddie Howe and his side will be only three points behind the Gunners having hopefully already progressed to the last eight of the League Cup only three days earlier.

We are talking such fine margins and when they start going against you, they have a habit of becoming a longer-term issue.

Anthony Gordon scores his penalty at Everton or the sitter when he was through one on one, then I think we go on and take our chances against Everton, when Gordon again failed with some sitters and Isak failed with a one on one and other chances. Newcastle would have then gone into this Chelsea match in a very different mood, one where team and players would have been energised as to what could be possible if winning.

I have seen some crazy comments following today’s defeat, childish nonsense such as ‘Taxi for Eddie Howe’ and ‘No option but to sack Eddie Howe now’…

So many Newcastle United fans change their opinion like the wind changing. Are you really that fragile and unable to see the bigger picture?

If you thought Eddie Howe was the right man for Newcastle United ahead of this season kicking off, what has changed?

Eddie Howe hasn’t, only your easily changeable opinion.

Sacking managers mid-season is a mug’s game.

It is small time.

Very very rarely does it end up well.

Sometimes it is the correct thing to do, if you have clueless managers such as Bruce, McClaren and so on.

However, if you think now is the time to get rid of Eddie Howe then you are badly mistaken.

Things might get even worse before they get better. After all, Chelsea have a reserve side that has cost half a billion or more they can play on Wednesday night, whilst only Man City have proved a better side than Arsenal these last few years.

The time to evaluate things regarding Eddie Howe and his position at Newcastle United, will be at the end of the season, not a couple of months into it.

As Newcastle United fans we need to give him time and our backing, which is something the club’s owners need to do as well. Especially when planning for the January 2025 transfer window.

Chelsea 2 Newcastle 1 – Sunday 27 October 2pm

(Stats via BBC Sport)

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Isak 32

Chelsea:

Jackson 18, Palmer 47

Possession was Newcastle 49% Chelsea 51%

Total shots were Newcastle 11 Chelsea 17

Shots on target were Newcastle 3 Chelsea 7

Corners were Newcastle 4 Chelsea 7

Touches in the box Newcastle 26 Chelsea 32

Newcastle United team v Chelsea:

Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall (Kelly 89), Joelinton (Osula 89), Bruno, Tonali (Longstaff 68), Barnes (Willock 68), Isak, Almiron (Jacob Murphy 68)

UNUSED SUBS:

Ruddy, Krafth, Lewis Miley, Vlachodimos

(This perfectly sums up the divide between Chelsea and Newcastle United – Read HERE)

(Chelsea 2 Newcastle 1 – Instant Newcastle United fan / writer reaction – Read HERE)

Newcastle United upcoming matches confirmed to end of January 2025:

Wednesday 30 October – Newcastle v Chelsea (7.45pm) Sky Sports+

Saturday 2 November – Newcastle v Arsenal (12.30pm) TNT Sports

Sunday 10 November – Forest v Newcastle (2pm) Sky Sports

Monday 25 November – Newcastle v West Ham (8pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 30 November – Crystal Palace v Newcastle

Wednesday 4 December – Newcastle v Liverpool (7.30pm) Amazon

Saturday 7 December – Brentford v Newcastle (3pm)