Eddie Howe now finds himself under the spotlight.
With Newcastle United, the manager never really is anything other than under intense scrutiny.
However, possibly this moment in time seeing Eddie Howe under that spotlight more than at any other time during his Newcastle United managerial career.
No disrespect to either Bournemouth or Burnley, but when Eddie Howe started work at St James’ Park back on 8 November 2021, he obviously knew that this was going to be very different, the intensity of both fans and media when it comes to the NUFC job.
Three defeats in a row have ramped up the pressure, even though two of those three losses have been away to Liverpool and Manchester City, before the defeat to Brentford.
Going on long losing runs has been so rare under Eddie Howe.
Putting this run of three Newcastle United defeats in a row, into perspective.
It was nine months ago (May 2025) when Newcastle last lost two matches in a row, away at Arsenal and home to Everton.
As for three defeats in a row?
You have to go back over 26 months, to December 2023, defeats away at Luton, home to Forest, then away at Liverpool on New Year’s Day 2024.
I find it bizarre that any Newcastle United fan would think it could be a good idea for Eddie Howe to be sacked during this current season.
It doesn’t mean he has a job for life, the reality is that all managers eventually leave their club(s).
With Eddie Howe though, I think he is one of those rarities, a manager who will never be sacked by Newcastle United.
Let me explain.
Last month it was the 28th anniversary of one of the most devastating moments many of us have experienced as a Newcastle United fan.
An official club statement on 8 January 1997 declaring;
‘Newcastle United Football Club today announce the resignation of manager Kevin Keegan.
Kevin informed the board of his wish to resign at the end of the season, having decided that he no longer wishes to continue in football management, at this stage in his life.
Following lengthy discussions of which the board attempted to persuade Kevin to change his mind.
Both parties eventually agreed that the best route forward was for the club to, reluctantly, accept his resignation with immediate effect.’
Kevin Keegan released his own short statement after the club’s announcement:
“It was my decision and my decision alone, to resign.
“I feel I have taken the club as far as I can and that it would be in the best interests of all concerned if I resigned now.
“I wish the club and everyone concerned with it all the best for the future.”
And with that, Kevin Keegan walked off into the sunset, never to be seen again.
Well, until Mike Ashley begged him to come and save us/him from Sam Allardyce and possible relegation, only for Ashley to deceive KK and the fans from the very start of that January 2008 Kevin Keegan return.
Kevin Keegan was at Newcastle United (in his first spell as manager) for four years eleven months, arriving on 5 February 1992 and leaving on 8 January 1997.
Eddie Howe has been at Newcastle United for four years and three months now, arriving on 8 November 2021 and hopefully here for many more years.
Kevin Keegan was a rarity.
He was always master of his own destiny. It makes me laugh whenever anybody refers to him as a serial quitter.
Instead, he was simply somebody who had integrity, who decided himself when it was time to say enough is enough. Somebody who didn’t hang around simply to force a big pay-off.
Instead he was part of that exclusive club, managers who aren’t motivated only by the cash, managers who simply believe in doing what they consider is the right thing, for both themselves and their football club(s).
Kevin Keegan did this at Newcastle United, Fulham, England and Manchester City, he was and is one of that exclusive club who have never been sacked as a manager.
Which brings me back to Eddie Howe
I don’t think anybody needs to be worried about any concerns with Eddie Howe, when it comes to clinging on for a huge pay-off at Newcastle United, he has integrity.
He is instead part of that exclusive club. Somebody who will never be sacked by NUFC, nor indeed sacked from any job.
It was Eddie Howe who decided it was time to part company (twice) with Bournemouth after doing a brilliant job across his two spells, taking them from the brink of falling into non-league all the way through the divisions. Then establishing minnows Bournemouth in the Premier League and finally deciding the time was right to take time out of management to recharge and improve his skill set, only when Bournemouth were so unlucky on the final day of the 2019/20 season, when the fates conspired to relegate them from the top tier.
Eddie Howe also of course made the decision himself when he left Burnley in October 2012, though that was for personal/family reasons.
When Eddie Howe leaves Newcastle United
I don’t think Eddie Howe will ever be sacked by Newcastle United.
Instead, my belief is that he will do what Kevin Keegan did, decide at some point that it is the right time, for both the club and Eddie Howe himself.
Indeed, Eddie Howe made that clear himself today (Monday 9 February 2026), when speaking at his press conference ahead of the Spurs match tomorrow.
The United boss asked if he thought he was still the right man for the job at St James’ Park.
Eddie Howe stating “No doubt in my mind” and “That’s why I’m sitting here.”
The Newcastle United Head Coach adding: “If there was doubt I wouldn’t be [still sitting here], because the club is the most important thing, I have never put myself before the club. If I didn’t think I was the correct man to take the team forward and I couldn’t give the players what they need, then I would step aside and let someone else do it.”
I hope that this will be many years down the line, especially because that would for sure mean that Newcastle United had continued this amazing success story that we have experienced since Eddie Howe walked through the door. There is no way that Eddie Howe will hang around though, if he feels he isn’t the person with the answers, when it comes to how best to take the team and club forward.
We are at such a pivotal stage of this 2025/26 season.
What I am confident about is that in this moment in time, we have the very best person in place to try and guide us through it all.
My faith in Eddie Howe is based on what we have all experienced across these past four years and more, so I am backing him to find the right answers across the rest of this season and hopefully beyond.
If at any point he doesn’t think he has those right answers, then Eddie Howe won’t be getting sacked by Newcastle United, he will make the call himself.
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