Alan Shearer has delivered a brutal verdict on Eddie Howe’s future at Newcastle, claiming the manager will not be in the dugout next season after being “chucked under the bus” by his “terrible” players.
The Magpies are in freefall. Three straight 2-1 defeats. A bruising loss to local rivals Sunderland. Fourteenth in the table. This is not what anyone had in mind after last season’s Champions League heroics.
Now the club’s all time record goalscorer has stuck the boot in.
‘I don’t see Eddie Howe in charge’
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer painted a grim picture of the manager’s body language and future prospects.
“As tough as it is for Eddie, I don’t know what is going to happen with him,” Shearer said. “I listened to his interview afterwards (after the Bournemouth defeat), I watched him on the touchline, I just think, is he going to want to go again? Is he going to get a chance to go again?
“If all things are equal then I would like him to stay, but does he feel he is going to have the chance? Does he want to do it again? Are Newcastle United going to have to sell?
“I don’t see Eddie Howe in charge of Newcastle next season, unfortunately. I look at his interview and I’m not sure the fight is there.”
That is damning. From a club legend. Shearer is not guessing. He is observing. And he does not like what he sees.
‘The players were terrible’
Shearer did not stop at the manager. He went after the squad too.
“I looked at the players and if that was what they call fighting for their manager, they were terrible,” he added. “The players chucked him under the bus.”
Ouch. That is an accusation of cowardice. Of hiding while their manager takes the heat.
The numbers back up some of the frustration. Big money signings Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa have contributed just eight goals between them. The team has scored 46 in the league, not terrible, but not enough. The tactical inconsistency has been glaring. The unrest is growing.
Howe: ‘I’ll fight harder than ever’
For his part, Howe insists he is committed. He said before the Bournemouth game that he would step aside if it helped the club.
“I just want to serve the club and do what’s right for the football club. That’s always been my aim. If that’s me leaving to help the club, then of course that’s something I’ll do, I’ve got no issue doing that.
“It’s not about me. But if I believe I’m the right person to take the club forward, which I do currently right now, then I’ll do that and I’ll fight to the end. I’ll fight harder than I’ve ever fought before.”
Admirable words. But Shearer has seen the body language. And he is not convinced.
What comes next
Newcastle travel to the Emirates on Saturday. Arsenal are chasing a title. The Magpies are chasing dignity.
European qualification is still mathematically possible, six points off sixth placed Chelsea. But with confidence shot and the manager’s future in doubt, that feels like a pipe dream.
Shearer has said what many fans are thinking. Howe looks beaten. The players look lost. And the season is slipping away.
If things do not change quickly, the club legend’s prediction will become a self fulfilling prophecy. And Newcastle will be looking for a new manager before the summer is out.
