Sky Sports analysts Gary Neville and Paul Merson have both come out in support of Eddie Howe, the Newcastle United manager, despite the recent dip in form that has seen the Magpies slide from European contention to a mid‑table position in the Premier League. Their comments came after Newcastle’s narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Saturday night, a defeat that marked the club's fourth consecutive league loss and left them sitting 14th with 42 points, merely six points above the relegation zone. Both pundits stressed that Howe’s job should not be in jeopardy. Merson went a step further, suggesting that if Howe were to depart, Chelsea would be the first to make a move for him, adding that the London club would be "taking him all day long".
He also hinted at the possibility of Howe becoming England’s next manager, noting that a host of clubs would line up to secure his services. "If he leaves, they will be queuing up around the corner.
Be careful, Newcastle," Merson told listeners on Sky’s Saturday Night Football programme. "Chelsea would take him all day long.
We were talking about him being the next England manager. Everyone will be queueing up to take him. It should be his decision if he wants to leave. He won a trophy for the club for the first time in 70 years." Neville echoed the sentiment that Newcastle should stand firmly behind Howe and start planning for the next season.
He believes the club’s hierarchy must work closely with the manager to shape the squad for a return to Champions League contention. In a recent episode of The Gary Neville Podcast recorded at the Emirates, the former Manchester United defender lamented the club’s disappointing campaign, pointing to a flawed transfer window that saw the arrivals of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa fail to make an immediate impact. "The transfer business at the end of the window in the summer was a real problem for them," Neville said. "They ended up with Woltemade and Wissa and that's just not paid off yet." Neville argued that the answer lies in giving Howe full faith and trust.
"They've got a really good manager. Where at some clubs it's easier to say 'let's shift the manager and keep the players because they've got five or six‑year contracts', it's absolutely the other way around at Newcastle," he explained. He warned that losing Howe would be a massive blow: "If we lost him, we've lost an eight‑and‑a‑half out of ten manager, someone who's a real solid performer – reliable, consistent, someone who's got a great attitude." Looking ahead, Neville expects Newcastle to sit down with Howe this week to map out the summer plan.
He imagines a scenario where Howe outlines the players he wants to keep, the new signings he envisions, and the timeline for completing business before the World Cup breaks the season’s rhythm. "I hope they're sitting down with Eddie Howe and they're going through the squad and he's saying 'these are the players I want, these are the players I'm going to buy into for next season, I want to get these four or five in, and I want our business done early while everyone's thinking about the World Cup'," Neville said. "They're a really good side, I like watching them and they're going to need to back their manager properly, buy into him, back him.
That's what I'd do if I were Newcastle because I think they've got one of the very best managers and I think he'll get them back up challenging for Champions League next season." Howe himself acknowledged the upcoming meeting with the club's owners, describing it as a routine part of the annual calendar but admitting that this particular discussion would be "slightly harder" given the current pressures. "These are things we always have every year.
This one will be slightly harder for me, I'm sure, but it'll be good to meet with the owners and discuss the future," he told Sky Sports. Midfielder Bruno Guimarães offered a candid assessment of Newcastle's season after the Arsenal match. While he praised the team's passion in the narrow defeat, he was clear that the overall performance fell short of the standards expected at a club with title ambitions.
"This reminded me a little bit of what we are able to do but, to be fair, it's not good enough, our season, I know it," Guimarães said. He highlighted that the squad has only four games left to salvage a respectable finish and possibly secure a spot in European competition for the following season. Guimarães also addressed the emotional toll on fans and players alike, noting that both groups share a deep disappointment. "I know the fans are very sad – the same as we are – and definitely we have to improve," he added.
He pointed out that the team has been inconsistent, oscillating between strong and weak displays, which is unacceptable for a club that aspires to fight for trophies. "The spark is still there somewhere, if you see the way we train well. We fought well today but this season we have been bouncing between a good game and a bad game.
It's not what we want and it's not what the fans deserve. I can see the fire is still there but we have to show more because it's not good enough.
It's not easy with a team that's fighting for the trophy. At least today we showed passion but, overall, not good enough." When asked about the need for fresh faces in the squad after a grueling schedule across multiple competitions, Guimarães expressed hope for new signings but remained cautious about commenting on transfer policy. "I hope so. I cannot comment too much as I'm just a player but I think we have to improve a lot of things in the club.
We need help," he concluded. In summary, both Neville and Merson are urging Newcastle United to maintain confidence in Eddie Howe, emphasizing that the manager has already delivered historic success by winning the club’s first major trophy in seven decades. They argue that stability, strategic recruitment, and unwavering support will be essential for turning the season around and positioning the Magpies for a return to the top tier of English football. The upcoming meetings between Howe and the club’s hierarchy will be crucial in setting the direction for the summer transfer window and the long‑term vision of the team.