‘The fans aren’t happy’ – Newcastle make Eddie Howe sack decision
Newcastle United are extremely unlikely to sack Eddie Howe despite growing frustrations from the supporters in what has been a difficult season so far.
That is accord 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 the Magpies are not concerned about the manager’s long-term position.
This comes after Newcastle suffered a 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday, in their first Tyne-Wear derby since the Black Cats’ promotion.
That defeat compounded what has been a terrible run away from home, which led to Brown telling Football Insider that Howe is facing a “huge problem” at Newcastle.
Now, fans have been left raging at the manager and his decisions, with a heightened focus on his position after the lacklustre display against their rivals.
Eddie Howe sack update emerges after Sunderland defeat
Brown told Football Insider in October that Newcastle are asking questions of Howe with suggestions he could soon come under pressure due to their poor form.
The former scout, who has a wealth of experience working closely alongside elite-level managers including the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson during Man United’s most successful period, has insisted that Howe remains under fire but is unlikely to be sacked.
“The fans aren’t happy after that defeat,” he told Football Insider.
“It’s not a surprise, losing a big game like that always leads to frustrations and it is usually the manager who bears the brunt of it from the fans.
“I don’t expect it will have any impact on Howe’s future, though, they won’t want to sack him.
“From what I hear, there’s still plenty of support from the club and the fans and they’re backing him because they appreciate the good work he has done.
“No doubt there will be some questions asked if their results continue to dip, but that goes for the players as much as it does for the manager.
“Some of their performances haven’t been up to scratch either, so it’s not only the manager coming in for criticism, his players have to as well.
“But as I said, any suggestions he could be sacked are probably coming from fans who aren’t happy with the result and I wouldn’t expect that to happen.”
Newcastle plan to back Howe as January shortlist revealed
Despite some calls for the manager’s head, there are plans being put in place to back him in key positions ahead of the January transfer window.
Football Insider revealed last month that Newcastle want to sign four new players in the mid-season window in an attempt to bolster their squad.
A new striker, left-back, right-back and midfielder are all on the Magpies radar as there is still a belief that the squad has major weaknesses in those positions.
Meanwhile, improvements have also been mooted in goal, as Brown told Football Insider that Newcastle are interested in James Trafford, who could leave Man City.
Newcastle missed out on signing Trafford during the summer when he opted for a return to the Etihad, but Gianluigi Donarumma’s arrival has since impacted his playing time.
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