Newcastle ‘asking questions’ of Eddie Howe after ‘disaster’
Newcastle United have endured an extremely poor start to the Premier League season with pressure to earn results beginning to grow.
Eddie Howe‘s side lost 2-1 to Brighton at the Amex on 18 October, with two goals from Danny Welbeck either side of Nick Woltemade‘s flick earning the hosts all three points.
The Magpies have now won just two of their first eight league games this season, leaving them 13th in the table, while their away record is causing additional concerns.
Newcastle have failed to win a league game away from St James’ Park since April, when they beat Leicester City 3-0 at the King Power Stadium.
As a result, some sections of the fanbase have begun to criticise Howe, with the manager facing the blame for many of their recent frustrations.
Questions asked of Eddie Howe amid Newcastle sack claim
Theo Walcott suggested Newcastle could move on from Howe, with his management of a bigger squad set to be tested while expectations continue to rise.
Now, questions are being asked of the manager amid demands to find a solution to their recent form both domestically and in Europe.
That is according to former Man United and Sunderland chief scout Mick Brown, who remains very well-connected within the game, as he exclusively told Football Insider that Howe is not under any immediate sack pressure, but knows results must improve.
“Newcastle’s poor start to the season is a concern,” he told Football Insider.
“One big criticism of them so far is they lack consistency, you don’t go into games knowing how they’re going to perform or whether they’ll be hard to beat.
“Some days they look excellent, then the next game they’ll be struggling.
“Their away form has been highlighted because that’s particularly poor if they can’t win away from home.
“Obviously you can’t expect them to be challenging for the title or anything like that, but they should be doing better than they are with the squad they’ve got.
“I have no doubt some of their issues in the summer came as a bit of a blow, it was a disaster for them really, but they’ve looked poor so far.
“I think questions are going to be asked of Eddie Howe, particularly if they continue playing the way they have been recently, because he’s not immune to criticism.
“Like any manager, he has to start winning games more regularly to ease that pressure.”
Meanwhile, there have been suggestions that Howe is frustrated at Newcastle and the way the club is being run, and could consider his long-term future.
Newcastle face transfer complications and injury concerns
Despite the pressure on his position, Howe can point to a number of issues beyond his control as reasons for Newcastle’s struggles this season.
The Magpies’ pre-season preparations were impacted by speculation surrounding Alexander Isak’s move to Liverpool, causing concerns behind the scenes.
Meanwhile, the likes of Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall and Yoane Wissa have struggled with injuries, leaving him short of players in key positions already.
The Magpies lifted the Carabao Cup last season, their first piece of major silverware in over 70 years, and that was thanks in large part to the work Howe has done.
While he still retains the support and backing of the majority of supporters and those higher up at Newcastle, there is also a feeling they must start winning games.
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