At some clubs Eddie Howe would not have got another chance.
Whatever mitigation there is for Newcastle United’s disappointing season, that is the stark truth.
“Unacceptable” is how one source described it and that is not an unfair description of a campaign where a black and white storm descended on St James’ Park.
Problems that had been brewing for a while – Howe’s recruitment and retention preferences colliding with financial restrictions to produce a squad that was both stale in some parts and unsettled by new arrivals with the wrong profile in others – combined with new issues like fan discontent and a resurgent rival in Sunderland to leave a sense that the project has stalled.
Behind the scenes they would dispute that. Sporting director Ross Wilson’s impact has won almost universal praise from those who have witnessed his work and he has worked hard at knocking down some of the silos that created the problems in the first place.
Chief executive David Hopkinson has injected new urgency into off the field issues. His willingness to embrace ambition has been matched by relentlessness in the boardroom. From plenty of conversations throughout the season it does feel as if Newcastle have spent the campaign laying foundations which will make them better in the long-term
Sources suggest that they will be on the front foot this summer, hoping to do business in and out fairly quickly, while there will be no repeat of last year’s Alexander Isak transfer saga.
Why Newcastle are backing Eddie Howe
The Magpies head coach has the support of Ross Wilson and David Hopkinson (Photo: Getty)One thing that can be cleared up: Howe has support from Hopkinson and Wilson, with the former confirming to The i Paper that they have a “strong” plan heading into a pivotal close season.
12th is miles off where Newcastle – whose minimum target this year was qualifying for Europe – need to be and Howe accepts that.
But the belief is that there has been mitigation: a hectic fixture list, the botched sale of Isak and the lack of an executive team to support him until the autumn.
A rigorous, partly data-led analysis of the campaign has been under way for weeks and Howe has been particularly hard on himself at times this season. Yet he retains the conviction and enthusiasm for the job, while admitting mistakes have been made.
Howe’s track record in seasons where Newcastle have not had European football is also very good.
“We’re in a situation in the summer of 2026 that is stronger than the summer of 2025 for a couple of reasons,” Hopkinson tells The i Paper.
“Eddie has got support from me and from Ross that is stronger than he had last summer with the departure of Paul Mitchell and Darren, who was sick. Darren is an outstanding executive and was a terrific CEO and I consider himself a personal friend but he was necessarily distracted last summer with his health issues.
“We have got a strong bench right now and a strong plan. We’ve been planning for multiple strategies since January and we now know which plan we’re executing and we’re executing it with the full conviction of the manager, CEO and sporting director all aligned.”
‘A natural point for reinvention’
Reims goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen has agreed to join Newcastle (Photo: Getty)Newcastle have had to scrap Plan A and B – qualifying for the Champions League or the two other European competitions respectively – in favour of Plan C. It comes with significant consequences – it is almost certain that Anthony Gordon will not be the only player Howe would like to keep who leaves – but also opportunity.
A “natural point for reinvention” is how one insider describes it and the club are understood to be hopeful of making quick signings. Sources in France suggest Reims goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen is close to agreeing a deal while Newcastle have held talks with Monaco over a move for Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara. Barcelona have joined the race to sign Gordon, while Liverpool and Bayern Munich are also among his suitors.
Last summer the mistake Newcastle made was that they allowed the Isak debacle to drag on for far too long. Even up until a few days before a deal was agreed with Liverpool some at the top were insisting he would not be sold. It made planning virtually impossible and while £125m represented a good fee, the confusion over their stance left those on the ground unsure of the size of their budget or what they needed.
Those lessons have been absorbed and are why things will move quicker with Gordon and anyone else whose valuation is met. “This club has to stop being scared of selling players,” one influential voice says. Part of that is about showing that they can replace them with players whose ceilings are potentially higher.
“Clear-eyed” is how one source describes their view of a critical summer. After the first major setback of the PIF era they have to get it right.
Howe’s biggest challenge at St James’ Park
Senior figures are backing Howe – in effect – to come up with Newcastle version 2.0. In the modern game, where success only insulates you for so long, not many managers get that opportunity.
It is a big call and a reflection of both his superb work at St James’ Park until now and the high esteem PIF holds him in. But credit has been eroded and the dynamic next season will be different.
Newcastle are probably right to hold their nerve on the condition that Howe is ready to shake himself and the club out of the comfort zone. A tactical tweak in the run-in was positive. Nick Woltemade’s recall and Will Osula’s transformation are positives.
Now there is a need to dispense with sentiment in their squad-building. They need two new goalkeepers and the sort of logic that brought Aaron Ramsdale to St James’ Park must be a thing of the past. Embracing risk and potential has to be the new blueprint.
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Mark Douglas: Sunderland’s historic brilliance has put Newcastle to shame Mark Douglas: Newcastle agree fine with Uefa – here’s why it will be less than Aston Villa’s £9.5mFans will get on board with that. Expectations will be high – internally and in the stands – but there will be an understanding if the club are bolder and supporters can see a long-term strategy at play.
What has disappointed this season is the tendency to play it safe when pressure is on. In truth, last summer’s signings – Anthony Elanga at £55m, Yoane Wissa at the same price – were the result of that sort of thinking. Yet the sure things were nothing of the sort.
It is not that long ago that Newcastle were seen as a real threat to the established elite. This season no-one seemed especially worried about them. Reversing that perception is Howe’s biggest challenge.
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