Eddie Howe

[Chicken Dancer]

1 minute ago, Wallsendmag said:

 

That's where I am tbh. I just want to see something, some sort of positive reaction in the remaining games. I know we'll almost certainly get beat on Saturday but it's about the performance and how we approach it for me. If we give them a good game, maybe even a bit of a scare and come away with a 1 or 2-0 loss fair enough but these players have got to show that they're still playing for the manager, for the supporters and even for themselves. If they've got a bit pride about themselves the (justifiable) criticism should be hurting them and they should be going out and proving that they can roll their sleeves up and complete because it's too long since we last seen that.

 

Aye best to go down fighting that with a whimper. We've got under their skin a few times in recent years, I'd be really excited for it if we'd been playing well after the international break. 

[Yorkie]

5 minutes ago, OoOGazOoO said:

'Scouting for a Howe team'.

 

Isn't that what we have with the likes of Elanga, Thiaw, Wissa, etc...?

 

Well yes but the version of Elanga and Wissa we've got is not the version we scouted and bought. 

[Robster]

6 minutes ago, OoOGazOoO said:

'Scouting for a Howe team'.

 

Isn't that what we have with the likes of Elanga, Thiaw, Wissa, etc...?

... and Bruno, Hall, Tonali, Livramento, Botman, Trippier.... aye

You forgot the better players it seems.

[bobbydazzla]

34 minutes ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Can’t be bothered to look and list them, but we have had some results this season that don’t support a justified 14th placed team, or us being mentality weak. One of the Man City games, four fifths of the Barca games and PSG spring to mind. 

 

Foolish to measure performance on 4/5th's of games etc.

 

Football matches are played from the ref's first whistle to the ref's last whistle. If you're getting beat by added time sickeners or goals that were scored in the first few minutes, it's largely irrelevant, you're still getting beat. 

 

Saying we were good for periods is clutching at straws. Losing to soft goals isn't a rarity for us, giving away soft goals to lose points has been happening all season long.

And surrendering points from decent positions all season long indicates a team who are mentally and / or physically weak.

 

[Coffee_Johnny]

1 minute ago, bobbydazzla said:

 

Foolish to measure performance on 4/5th's of games etc.

 

Football matches are played from the ref's first whistle to the ref's last whistle. If you're getting beat by added time sickeners or goals that were scored in the first few minutes, it's largely irrelevant, you're still getting beat. 

 

Saying we were good for periods is clutching at straws. Losing to soft goals isn't a rarity for us, giving away soft goals to lose points has been happening all season long.

And surrendering points from decent positions all season long indicates a team who are mentally and / or physically weak.

 

Well point stands really, if anyone is suggesting that we have the capability of a 14th placed team, drawing with Barcelona and PSG (how did they get on in the final?), winning some of the CL, other cup, and PL games we have, missing out on so many points late on (despite otherwise competitive performances) doesn’t comfortably sit with that. 
Admittedly, we have put in the performances of a 14th placed team. But I honestly don’t think we are that far away from where we realistically would want to be. Fuck knows what needs fixed, but I can’t get on board with the everything is totally fucked and major change needs to occur mindset. Just comes over as disappointment-fuelled raging. 

[Mattoon]

There seems to be a narrative forming from those vehemently Howe out that he is now to blame for everything and selective evidence used for arguments, again, I will reiterate that I don't think Howe is blameless in this mess, ultimately the buck stops with him and he is the fall guy. Having said that I do feel that he has been massively let down 1. He was let down by Mitchel both in his timing of abandoning his post and his scorched earth approach to players and inter-team relationships 2. He was let down by Isak and his actions and must have felt undermined by some of the players reactions to him leaving 3. He was let down by the Saudi's who just let him cook...with no recipe 4. He's been let down by the players, some more than others, for various reasons.

 

Ultimately a manager earns his keep by finding a way to win, no matter the circumstances, but the cards have been heavily stacked this season and:

 

5. Now he's being let down by a growing contingent of supporters.

 

I won't try and sway anyone's opinion, everyone is entitled to feel how they feel about the situation, that's just how I see it and why I think he deserves another shot, I don't think he has turned into a crap manager over night.

[TheEntertainer]

5 minutes ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Well point stands really, if anyone is suggesting that we have the capability of a 14th placed team, drawing with Barcelona and PSG (how did they get on in the final?), winning some of the CL, other cup, and PL games we have, missing out on so many points late on (despite otherwise competitive performances) doesn’t comfortably sit with that. 
Admittedly, we have put in the performances of a 14th placed team. But I honestly don’t think we are that far away from where we realistically would want to be. Fuck knows what needs fixed, but I can’t get on board with the everything is totally fucked and major change needs to occur mindset. Just comes over as disappointment-fuelled raging. 

I'd be interested to see how well a team around us, say Palace or Fulham, would get on in the Champions league given how well the 18th best team in the prem did this year (not that we're likely to see that). We can all agree Spurs have been beyond terrible this season, but they finished 4th in the league phase and were only knocked out by 2 goals to the team who have now knocked out the team who beat us by 5 (and actually beat them in one of the legs) 

[OoOGazOoO]

20 minutes ago, Robster said:

... and Bruno, Hall, Tonali, Livramento, Botman, Trippier.... aye

You forgot the better players it seems.

 

Wasn't a case of leaving the better players out. Only really adds to what I was saying. If this isn't a 'Howe' team, then what is?

[bobbydazzla]

14 minutes ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Well point stands really, if anyone is suggesting that we have the capability of a 14th placed team, drawing with Barcelona and PSG (how did they get on in the final?), winning some of the CL, other cup, and PL games we have, missing out on so many points late on (despite otherwise competitive performances) doesn’t comfortably sit with that. 
Admittedly, we have put in the performances of a 14th placed team. But I honestly don’t think we are that far away from where we realistically would want to be. Fuck knows what needs fixed, but I can’t get on board with the everything is totally fucked and major change needs to occur mindset. Just comes over as disappointment-fuelled raging. 

 

Having higher capability than a 14th placed team versus deserving to be in 14th place because of consistently giving away soft goals and dropping points from decent positions, is essentially talking about two very different things

 

Spurs have the capability to not be relegation fodder and were decent enough in the CL, but they're relegation fodder because they get beat week after week after week. 

 

We'd take the piss out of Spurs fans if their logic was that they weren't far away from being a decent team because they'd generally lost most of their games late on. Reality is, they've lost most of their games so they're shit.

 

 

 

Edited April 23 by bobbydazzla

[Chicken Dancer]

4 minutes ago, Mattoon said:

There seems to be a narrative forming from those vehemently Howe out that he is now to blame for everything and selective evidence used for arguments, again, I will reiterate that I don't think Howe is blameless in this mess, ultimately the buck stops with him and he is the fall guy. Having said that I do feel that he has been massively let down 1. He was let down by Mitchel both in his timing of abandoning his post and his scorched earth approach to players and inter-team relationships 2. He was let down by Isak and his actions and must have felt undermined by some of the players reactions to him leaving 3. He was let down by the Saudi's who just let him cook...with no recipe 4. He's been let down by the players, some more than others, for various reasons.

 

Ultimately a manager earns his keep by finding a way to win, no matter the circumstances, but the cards have been heavily stacked this season and:

 

5. Now he's being let down by a growing contingent of supporters.

 

I won't try and sway anyone's opinion, everyone is entitled to feel how they feel about the situation, that's just how I see it and why I think he deserves another shot, I don't think he has turned into a crap manager over night.

 

I actually agree with pretty much all of this to some degree, and I don't think anybody thinks he's turned into a crap manager overnight. I don't think there's a Newcastle fan alive who doesn't wish this season had turned out different.

 

The problem for me is that it's now late April, with 5 games left, and the exact same issues that were hampering us in the early/middle part of the season are still happening now. We can blame the players/Isak/Mitchell/PIF but as you say, the buck stops with the manager.

 

When we won the cup, Howe correctly took infinitely more praise than any of the players - both individually and as a collective. Now we're doing shit, he's ultimately going to shoulder most of the blame, especially when it's become all too predictable week in, week out. It's the way it's always been and always will be in football.

 

Perspective is key of course, but I'd say the points you raised were valid reasons why we started slowly, not why we're still shite in April.

[Holmesy]

10 minutes ago, Mattoon said:

There seems to be a narrative forming from those vehemently Howe out that he is now to blame for everything and selective evidence used for arguments, again, I will reiterate that I don't think Howe is blameless in this mess, ultimately the buck stops with him and he is the fall guy. Having said that I do feel that he has been massively let down 1. He was let down by Mitchel both in his timing of abandoning his post and his scorched earth approach to players and inter-team relationships 2. He was let down by Isak and his actions and must have felt undermined by some of the players reactions to him leaving 3. He was let down by the Saudi's who just let him cook...with no recipe 4. He's been let down by the players, some more than others, for various reasons.

 

Ultimately a manager earns his keep by finding a way to win, no matter the circumstances, but the cards have been heavily stacked this season and:

 

5. Now he's being let down by a growing contingent of supporters.

 

I won't try and sway anyone's opinion, everyone is entitled to feel how they feel about the situation, that's just how I see it and why I think he deserves another shot, I don't think he has turned into a crap manager over night.

Here's a slightly different take - If Rafa was manager right now and had this group of players at his disposal (and had been through everything you listed in the summer), do you think he would find a way to win games?

[Stuy_O]

Looking at the late losses as a group does suggest we’ve been unlucky but looking at the games individually tells a different story. 
 

Arsenal hammered us at SJP, deserved loss v Sunderland, deserved loss v Bournemouth, rubbish vs Palace, all over the place against Brentford, ditto Everton. Only really the Liverpool game at home stands out as one that wasn’t fair on us. 
 

 

 

 

Edited April 23 by Stuy_O

[Wallsendmag]

32 minutes ago, Coffee_Johnny said:

Well point stands really, if anyone is suggesting that we have the capability of a 14th placed team, drawing with Barcelona and PSG (how did they get on in the final?), winning some of the CL, other cup, and PL games we have, missing out on so many points late on (despite otherwise competitive performances) doesn’t comfortably sit with that. 
Admittedly, we have put in the performances of a 14th placed team. But I honestly don’t think we are that far away from where we realistically would want to be. Fuck knows what needs fixed, but I can’t get on board with the everything is totally fucked and major change needs to occur mindset. Just comes over as disappointment-fuelled raging. 

 

Any team can compete with any other on any given day though at this level of sport. Wolves gave the ln top of the league Arsenal a 2 goal lead not so long ago and ended up drawing 2-2. That doesn't mean that they're too good to be bottom though. Just my opinion but after 33 games we are exactly where we deserve to be based on performance. I can't make a case for saying we should be higher than we are because......

 

Yes we gave Barcelona a game up here and in the 1st half there before arguably the biggest collapse I've ever seen from a Newcastle team. QPR in 1985 is us there but we still drew that game. Barcelona went straight out in the next round.

 

PSG away we were fantastic. Totally agree. Fully deserved a draw. For whatever reason we seem to have their number. Sadly those types of performance have been far too rare though.

 

You've said yourself fuck knows what needs fixed. I'm the same. I wish it was easy to click our fingers and go back to the Intensity is our identity way of playing but we're absolutely miles of that this season. Thankfully It's not down to you or I to find a solution though. It's down to Eddie Howe. At the moment he looks completely out of ideas himself though.

[Mattoon]

18 minutes ago, Chicken Dancer said:

 

I actually agree with pretty much all of this to some degree, and I don't think anybody thinks he's turned into a crap manager overnight. I don't think there's a Newcastle fan alive who doesn't wish this season had turned out different.

 

The problem for me is that it's now late April, with 5 games left, and the exact same issues that were hampering us in the early/middle part of the season are still happening now. We can blame the players/Isak/Mitchell/PIF but as you say, the buck stops with the manager.

 

When we won the cup, Howe correctly took infinitely more praise than any of the players - both individually and as a collective. Now we're doing shit, he's ultimately going to shoulder most of the blame, especially when it's become all too predictable week in, week out. It's the way it's always been and always will be in football.

 

Perspective is key of course, but I'd say the points you raised were valid reasons why we started slowly, not why we're still shite in April.

 

Agree with you also, but I see that as an extension of why we are where we are now, too much water under the bridge this season, confidence knocked, players agitating for moves, questions about the "project" and of course Howe himself fighting fires and trying to stick elastoplasts over bullet holes, too scared to change anything meaningful and that's on him, a victim of circumstance but now stuck in his own head. I do think that is circumstantial and not permanent though but I also understand why other people think that it is and maybe he's done his time here.

[Yorkie]

20 minutes ago, Stuy_O said:

Looking at the late losses as a group does suggest we’ve been unlucky but looking at the games individually tells a different story. 
 

Arsenal hammered us at SJP, deserved loss v Sunderland, deserved loss v Bournemouth, rubbish vs Palace, all over the place against Brentford, ditto Everton. Only really the Liverpool game at home stands out as one that wasn’t fair on us. 

 

I don't think there's an appetite to argue that we've been hard done by when it comes to the games themselves. We've not suffered a sequence of robberies; we've lost an absolutely ludicrous amount of points from winning/drawing positions because of our own failings. The only one I can think of where you might say we were robbed is Chelsea where we should've had a pen at 2-1 (iirc), but even then our characteristic failings were present because Woltemade should've scored more than the two he got. 

 

The issue all season long has been our inability to put games to bed, thus piling the pressure on defenders and, slowly but surely, turning is into complete soft cocks who are unable to hold our nerves. 

 

Why and how that is the issue - and who/what you blame - is the real debate. But our position is a true reflection of our performance this season, no doubt about it.

[Scoot]

1 hour ago, Miggys First Goal said:

 

 

Anyone do their magic?

[bobbydazzla]

1 hour ago, Mattoon said:

There seems to be a narrative forming from those vehemently Howe out that he is now to blame for everything and selective evidence used for arguments, again, I will reiterate that I don't think Howe is blameless in this mess, ultimately the buck stops with him and he is the fall guy. Having said that I do feel that he has been massively let down 1. He was let down by Mitchel both in his timing of abandoning his post and his scorched earth approach to players and inter-team relationships 2. He was let down by Isak and his actions and must have felt undermined by some of the players reactions to him leaving 3. He was let down by the Saudi's who just let him cook...with no recipe 4. He's been let down by the players, some more than others, for various reasons.

 

Ultimately a manager earns his keep by finding a way to win, no matter the circumstances, but the cards have been heavily stacked this season and:

 

5. Now he's being let down by a growing contingent of supporters.

 

I won't try and sway anyone's opinion, everyone is entitled to feel how they feel about the situation, that's just how I see it and why I think he deserves another shot, I don't think he has turned into a crap manager over night.

 

Am sure there would have been Bournemouth fans in different camps discussing whether he'd run out of steam, or whether he had another season in him because he'd brought them the best times they'd ever known and had cemented himself as a club legend.

 

And then they got relegated and he left. And Bournemouth have pushed on and done better in the PL since he left. But he'll always be a legend for the job he did to get them there. It was an unbelievable achievement.

 

I'm also not trying to sway people's opinions. But based on what I've seen this season I think he can't even get the basics right right now, such as his in-game changes and getting the team to protect points towards the end of a game.

Even with all the mitigating circumstances behind the scenes, he has the experience and capability and squad to ensure his NUFC team should be able to get the basics right more often than not.

 

 

 

Edited April 23 by bobbydazzla

[Mills and Boon]

1 hour ago, OoOGazOoO said:

 

Wasn't a case of leaving the better players out. Only really adds to what I was saying. If this isn't a 'Howe' team, then what is?

 

Nobody said it isn't a Howe team 

[Mattoon]

16 minutes ago, Scoot said:

 

Anyone do their magic?

 

https://smry.ai/inews.co.uk/sport/football/saudi-arabia-newcastle-pif-club-insiders-4372265?ito=link_share_article-top

 

How committed Saudi Arabia is to Newcastle, according to PIF and club insiders

Mark Douglas·7 min read·Invalid Date

Pretty soon – in a matter of “weeks” rather than months – Newcastle fans are set to get a visible sign of the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s continued commitment to the club.

Confirmation of a further tranche of investment by the club’s majority owners – earmarked to purchase the site of where a new state-of-the-art training ground will be built near the city’s airport – will land in the near future on Companies House, The i Paper understands.

While the impact of leaks and the pace of legal work prevent anyone from giving an absolutely cast-iron timeline, the funding has the green light. With doubts swirling about the club’s direction and Saudi commitment to investing in sport itself, confirmation of the first major infrastructure project of the PIF era cannot come a minute too soon.

The training ground – which may not open its doors until close to the 2030 date that chief executive David Hopkinson has optimistically set for Newcastle to be regularly competing for the Premier League title – will be funded by a combination of PIF investment and capital raised through the club taking on debt.

That last point feels important. While the hope of Newcastle fans (and fear of their rivals) was that the club would be viewed as a trophy asset by a fund with deep pockets, that was never, ever intended to be the reality.

“PIF is acting like an institutional investor because it is an institutional investor,” was how one source put it. No private equity fund in the world would write a blank cheque to fund a stadium or training ground and PIF is no different. Which is why Newcastle, unlike teetering LIV Golf, does not face the prospect of being cut adrift anytime soon.

Are PIF still committed to Newcastle?

Newcastle’s season has not met expectations (Photo: Getty)

Several sources contacted by The i Paper were unequivocal. Despite the speculation around LIV there is “no change” in the long-term plan for Newcastle.

Rumours that they are readying a sale of their stake in the club – which swirled around football circles last week – have been categorically denied by sources, who suspect they are partly the work of opportunistic investors or third parties who would be keen to test the water for a possible Newcastle takeover.

Last week PIF announced a new strategy which split the fund’s investment into three “pots”. The first, “Vision 2030”, is for domestic projects. The second, “financial”, is for investments in equity projects and stocks and shares.

Stay comfortable during your workouts with H&M’s 5-pack sports socks featuring moisture-wicking DryMove™ technology for all-day freshness.

H&m · Sponsored

Learn More→

Newcastle sits in the third pot: “strategic”. PIF sources have always said that while the investment is relatively small by the fund’s standards it is important because it is so public-facing. One source went further, referring to it as a PIF “crown jewel” because it gives them a presence in the globally respected Premier League.

Is Newcastle viewed as a good investment by Saudi Arabia?

Quite apart from the steep improvement on the pitch – with the exception of this season – it is also viewed by PIF as a successful investment off the field. Including the sale price of £305m, PIF have invested around £800m in Newcastle so far. According to the fund’s own internal metric the valuation of the club has significantly outstripped that investment.

One source familiar with football acquisitions believes Newcastle are now worth more than £1bn based on the price paid for similar clubs. Contrast that with LIV Golf, which is projected to require further hefty injections of cash to compete with the established golf tours, and you can see why sources describe the two investments as “chalk and cheese”.

Newcastle is still growing. The club have this week advertised for a slew of academy recruitment jobs across the Balkans, Italy and Spain. Key new off-the-field roles, in strategy, data and recruitment, are to be confirmed soon.

For many fans, though, there is a sense of drift about Newcastle. PIF have no intention of challenging the financial rules that have hamstrung the club’s ambitions, which has caused disquiet.

On the ground Eddie Howe’s position has been called into question after a mediocre season began to tailspin while at least one big sale – quite possibly Anthony Gordon, with Bayern Munich interested – is necessary. There is frustration that the issue of St James’ Park expansion is not resolved a year on from a decision being supposedly imminent, although The i Paper has been told that the intention is a call will have been made by the end of the year.

A high-level visit by senior PIF figures next week, then, feels symbolically important.

How do PIF view this season – and Eddie Howe’s future?

Howe is under pressure but is well liked by Al Rumayyan (Photo: Reuters)

Next week’s annual “off-site” meeting at Matfen Hall in Northumberland is important and comes with the club seemingly at a crossroads. The team are 14th and set to miss out on their pre-season target of European qualification, which will have a significant impact on their summer business. Frustration is building on the terraces.

With Yasir Al-Rumayyan expected to jet into the North East to attend it is being viewed as a chance for the chairman to “grill” Howe on this season’s failings. The reality will be different.

The i Paper understands that Al-Rumayyan enjoys a warm relationship with Howe and has regularly enthused about his track record at Newcastle.

It’s been stressed that no one gets a “free pass” at St James’ Park and there is clearly frustration at the way the Premier League campaign has unfolded but as it stands the plan is to continue with Howe next season.

He has been part of all the club’s preparations for the coming campaign and recruitment planning – which has stepped up this week – has been tailored to bringing in players who would operate well in his system and favoured style.

But PIF are, in the words of one source who has worked with them previously, “obsessed with the numbers”. They will want to be across all the data and information and will expect things to change. Insiders suggest lessons of last summer’s fiasco of a transfer window have been learned and work has gone into ensuring there is improvement. The era of signings like Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa seems over.

The smart money remains on Howe being in charge – but of a very different looking outfit come August.

[PauloGeordio]

22 minutes ago, Mattoon said:

 

https://smry.ai/inews.co.uk/sport/football/saudi-arabia-newcastle-pif-club-insiders-4372265?ito=link_share_article-top

 

How committed Saudi Arabia is to Newcastle, according to PIF and club insiders

Mark Douglas·7 min read·Invalid Date

Pretty soon – in a matter of “weeks” rather than months – Newcastle fans are set to get a visible sign of the Saudi Public Investment Fund’s continued commitment to the club.

Confirmation of a further tranche of investment by the club’s majority owners – earmarked to purchase the site of where a new state-of-the-art training ground will be built near the city’s airport – will land in the near future on Companies House, The i Paper understands.

While the impact of leaks and the pace of legal work prevent anyone from giving an absolutely cast-iron timeline, the funding has the green light. With doubts swirling about the club’s direction and Saudi commitment to investing in sport itself, confirmation of the first major infrastructure project of the PIF era cannot come a minute too soon.

The training ground – which may not open its doors until close to the 2030 date that chief executive David Hopkinson has optimistically set for Newcastle to be regularly competing for the Premier League title – will be funded by a combination of PIF investment and capital raised through the club taking on debt.

That last point feels important. While the hope of Newcastle fans (and fear of their rivals) was that the club would be viewed as a trophy asset by a fund with deep pockets, that was never, ever intended to be the reality.

“PIF is acting like an institutional investor because it is an institutional investor,” was how one source put it. No private equity fund in the world would write a blank cheque to fund a stadium or training ground and PIF is no different. Which is why Newcastle, unlike teetering LIV Golf, does not face the prospect of being cut adrift anytime soon.

Are PIF still committed to Newcastle?

Newcastle’s season has not met expectations (Photo: Getty)

Several sources contacted by The i Paper were unequivocal. Despite the speculation around LIV there is “no change” in the long-term plan for Newcastle.

Rumours that they are readying a sale of their stake in the club – which swirled around football circles last week – have been categorically denied by sources, who suspect they are partly the work of opportunistic investors or third parties who would be keen to test the water for a possible Newcastle takeover.

Last week PIF announced a new strategy which split the fund’s investment into three “pots”. The first, “Vision 2030”, is for domestic projects. The second, “financial”, is for investments in equity projects and stocks and shares.

Stay comfortable during your workouts with H&M’s 5-pack sports socks featuring moisture-wicking DryMove™ technology for all-day freshness.

H&m · Sponsored

Learn More→

Newcastle sits in the third pot: “strategic”. PIF sources have always said that while the investment is relatively small by the fund’s standards it is important because it is so public-facing. One source went further, referring to it as a PIF “crown jewel” because it gives them a presence in the globally respected Premier League.

Is Newcastle viewed as a good investment by Saudi Arabia?

Quite apart from the steep improvement on the pitch – with the exception of this season – it is also viewed by PIF as a successful investment off the field. Including the sale price of £305m, PIF have invested around £800m in Newcastle so far. According to the fund’s own internal metric the valuation of the club has significantly outstripped that investment.

One source familiar with football acquisitions believes Newcastle are now worth more than £1bn based on the price paid for similar clubs. Contrast that with LIV Golf, which is projected to require further hefty injections of cash to compete with the established golf tours, and you can see why sources describe the two investments as “chalk and cheese”.

Newcastle is still growing. The club have this week advertised for a slew of academy recruitment jobs across the Balkans, Italy and Spain. Key new off-the-field roles, in strategy, data and recruitment, are to be confirmed soon.

For many fans, though, there is a sense of drift about Newcastle. PIF have no intention of challenging the financial rules that have hamstrung the club’s ambitions, which has caused disquiet.

On the ground Eddie Howe’s position has been called into question after a mediocre season began to tailspin while at least one big sale – quite possibly Anthony Gordon, with Bayern Munich interested – is necessary. There is frustration that the issue of St James’ Park expansion is not resolved a year on from a decision being supposedly imminent, although The i Paper has been told that the intention is a call will have been made by the end of the year.

A high-level visit by senior PIF figures next week, then, feels symbolically important.

How do PIF view this season – and Eddie Howe’s future?

Howe is under pressure but is well liked by Al Rumayyan (Photo: Reuters)

Next week’s annual “off-site” meeting at Matfen Hall in Northumberland is important and comes with the club seemingly at a crossroads. The team are 14th and set to miss out on their pre-season target of European qualification, which will have a significant impact on their summer business. Frustration is building on the terraces.

With Yasir Al-Rumayyan expected to jet into the North East to attend it is being viewed as a chance for the chairman to “grill” Howe on this season’s failings. The reality will be different.

The i Paper understands that Al-Rumayyan enjoys a warm relationship with Howe and has regularly enthused about his track record at Newcastle.

It’s been stressed that no one gets a “free pass” at St James’ Park and there is clearly frustration at the way the Premier League campaign has unfolded but as it stands the plan is to continue with Howe next season.

He has been part of all the club’s preparations for the coming campaign and recruitment planning – which has stepped up this week – has been tailored to bringing in players who would operate well in his system and favoured style.

But PIF are, in the words of one source who has worked with them previously, “obsessed with the numbers”. They will want to be across all the data and information and will expect things to change. Insiders suggest lessons of last summer’s fiasco of a transfer window have been learned and work has gone into ensuring there is improvement. The era of signings like Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa seems over.

The smart money remains on Howe being in charge – but of a very different looking outfit come August.

Newcastle is pleased to welcome Conor Galllagher and Liam Delap.

[Abacus]

Good news about that H&M sports socks 5 pack tucked within all that.

[SUPERTOON]

Douglas writes the same article at least once a month.

[Fak]

10 minutes ago, Abacus said:

Good news about that H&M sports socks 5 pack tucked within all that.

 

They'd make a great pair up front. 

[RobsonsWonderland]

22 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

Douglas writes the same article at least once a month.

Just chucks it through chatgpt..

 

Please write same article in five different ways

[WWZ]

Is the poll since last weekend?