In the wake of defeat in the Tyne Wear derby, questions are beginning to surface about Eddie Howe’s future. Jamie Carragher has come out strongly in support of the Newcastle United manager, but that defence does not fully stack up.
To be clear, this is not a call for Howe to be sacked. His work at St James’ Park has been outstanding overall and he has delivered progress few supporters could have imagined a few years ago. Still, the loss to Sunderland, and more importantly the way it unfolded, was hugely underwhelming. Howe got his approach wrong and has to shoulder a significant share of the responsibility.
There were issues across the board, from team selection and tactical shape to intensity and mindset. It is not unreasonable to suggest that all of those factors played a part in such a flat display.
Carragher, speaking on Sky Sports, highlighted Newcastle’s alarming away record but stopped short of blaming the manager. He described the results as deeply concerning and suggested they did not resemble the Newcastle side Howe has built. Carragher pointed to recent transfer windows, arguing Howe had not been sufficiently supported and that the current performances echoed some of the defensive fragilities seen during his Bournemouth days.
When asked whether scrutiny of Howe was inevitable, Carragher accepted that it was but stressed the scale of the job Howe has already done. He questioned whether the club’s hierarchy had provided the backing required to push Newcastle towards title contention, suggesting a lack of leadership above the manager had left him exposed.
Howe himself had made it clear before the derby that he did not want excuses. Carragher’s comments, however well intentioned, feel like exactly that. The idea that Newcastle were not backed in the summer simply does not hold up.
The transfer window was far from perfect, and losing Alexander Isak was always going to hurt both on the pitch and structurally. That said, Newcastle still spent heavily, investing roughly £243 million on five major signings. With that level of outlay, the team should be performing at a much higher standard.
The real issue is not the lack of spending but how that money was used. Nick Woltemade has largely impressed, despite his misfortune in the derby, and Malick Thiaw has been an excellent addition. By contrast, the arrivals of Jacob Ramsey and Anthony Elanga, at a combined cost close to £93 million, underline where the recruitment has fallen short.
Those players have had ample time to settle and for Howe to integrate them properly, yet consistency remains elusive. That is a concern which cannot be brushed aside.
There is no suggestion that Howe is on the brink, but glossing over what happened against Sunderland would be just as misguided. Accountability matters, and so far, Newcastle are not getting enough things right.