Credit: Imago

Jack Dawson

Wed 25 March 2026 19:00, UK

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Alex Murphy’s admission that he would rather be out on loan than be a fringe Newcastle United player shows exactly why Eddie Howe is failing as a manager.

The 21-year-old has emerged as one of the Magpies’ most promising players after a successful loan spell at Bolton Wanderers last season.

So far this campaign, the defender has featured five times in the first team, and is usually seen as an unused substitute on the bench.

However, this is not a situation Murphy is happy with, and he really expressed his frustration with his game time at St James’ Park.

Below, Football Insider has examined these quotes to see what it tells us about Howe’s failing reign at Newcastle.

Alex Murphy: Any player would be fuming to be on the bench every game

Whenever Murphy has played for Newcastle United’s first team, he has usually impressed.

In February, he was handed a start against Qarabag in the second leg of their knockout playoff match, where they won 3-2.

However, since then, he has not played a single minute of first-team action, continuing to be an unused substitute.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner on 25 March, the defender was quick to express his frustrations at the situation.

He said: “If it was my choice, I’d be somewhere else playing games but it’s not always down to you. You must accept that, keep doing what you’re doing and hopefully the chance will come.

“It’s good to say that you’re a Premier League player and be in the squads every week but as a player you want to play in games. Any player would be fuming to be on the bench for every game. It’s nice for a while but does wear off.

“I’m delighted to be at Newcastle United, have no complaints about being there. It’s just wanting to play.”

This is simply a terrible look for Howe, as it makes little sense to keep hold of a good, upcoming player who doesn’t want to sit on the bench just to make up the numbers.

Eddie Howe on Alex Murphy:

“In an important moment for the team Alex did really well. He’s trained with us for a long time but hasn’t had any major game exposure with us. He’s had a lot of training time, a lot of development and a good loan spell. He’s someone we trust and… pic.twitter.com/GPejPPafHx

— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 19, 2025

Surely, it makes more sense to send him out on loan to a Championship club and help him develop into a Premier League player.

As a result, this shows exactly why Howe is failing at Newcastle at the moment, with his lack of long-term planning a serious issue.

Therefore, with Murphy’s lack of game time potentially ruining his development, this incident is just another reason why Howe could be sacked.

Can Eddie Howe survive until the end of the season?

Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider that Newcastle were losing patient with Howe after their recent set of disastrous results.

The club currently sit 12^th in the table, are out of all cup competitions and have little chance of getting European football.

It has been an awful season to date, with little to no positives from start to finish.

While Howe may not be completely at fault for the decline, some of his decisions have been simply baffling.

Therefore, his sacking before the end of the season may not be a complete shock, especially if they continue to dip down the table.