Sky Sports analysts Gary Neville and Paul Merson have both come out in defence of Eddie Howe, the Newcastle United manager, despite a recent slump that has seen the Magpies slip from European contention to the lower half of the Premier League table. Their comments came after Newcastle’s narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Saturday’s edition of Saturday Night Football, a defeat that marked the club’s fourth consecutive league loss and left them perched in 14th place with 42 points, a mere six points above the relegation zone. The loss has intensified the pressure on Howe, but neither pundit believes it warrants his dismissal. Merson even suggested that if Howe were to leave, Chelsea would be among the first clubs to line up for his signature, adding that the London side would "take him all day long" and that there were rumours of him being considered for the England job.
"If he decides to walk away, there will be a queue forming around the corner," Merson said on the broadcast. "Chelsea would snap him up in an instant. Everyone will be lining up to get him.
It should be his decision, after all. He delivered a trophy for Newcastle for the first time in 70 years." Neville echoed the sentiment, urging Newcastle to keep faith in Howe and to start planning for the next season with the aim of returning to Champions League contention.
Speaking on his own podcast recorded at the Emirates over the weekend, the former Manchester United defender described the current campaign as "really disappointing" and pointed to a troubled transfer window as a key factor. "The summer business was a mess," Neville explained. "They ended up with Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, and those deals haven’t paid off yet." Despite the mis‑steps, Neville insisted that the club’s best course of action is to place full trust in Howe. "They have a fantastic manager," he said.
"At some clubs you can just replace the coach and keep the squad because the players are on long contracts. At Newcastle it works the other way around.
Losing Howe would be like losing an eight‑and‑a‑half out of ten manager – a solid, reliable performer with a great attitude." Neville imagined a scenario where Newcastle sit down with Howe to map out the squad for the upcoming season. "He’ll be saying, ‘These are the players I need, these are the ones I want to bring in, I want to secure four or five targets early while everyone’s thinking about the World Cup.’" He stressed that the club must back Howe wholeheartedly, invest in his vision, and give him the resources to rebuild. "If I were in charge, I’d back him fully because I think they have one of the best managers around, and he can get them challenging for Champions League spots again." Howe is scheduled to meet with the Newcastle board later this week.
When Sky Sports asked him about the upcoming talks, he replied that such meetings are a regular part of the job each season, though this one would be "slightly harder" for him. He nonetheless expressed optimism about discussing the club’s future with the owners. Mid‑fielder Bruno Guimarães offered a candid appraisal of Newcastle’s season, acknowledging that the team finally displayed a spark of passion in the narrow defeat to title‑chasing Arsenal but that overall the performances have been inconsistent. Speaking to Sky Sports, Guimarães said, "It reminded me of what we’re capable of, but it’s still not good enough.
We have four games left to try and salvage the season and aim for European qualification next year." He empathised with the supporters, noting that both the fans and the squad share a deep disappointment. "We’ve been bouncing between good and bad games all season. It’s not what the fans deserve," he added. "The fire is still there, you can see it in training, but we need to show more consistency." When asked whether he hoped the club would bring in new players after a demanding schedule across multiple competitions, Guimarães replied, "I hope so.
I can’t comment too much as a player, but we definitely need to improve a lot of things at the club. We need help." Both Neville and Merson’s remarks underline a clear message: Newcastle should not rush to dismiss Howe.
Instead, they should reinforce his position, address the transfer mis‑steps of the summer, and plan strategically for the next campaign. By doing so, they could restore the optimism that once saw the Magpies lifting a historic trophy and potentially set the stage for a return to European competition. The upcoming board meeting will be crucial in determining whether the club chooses to stand by Howe or to explore other options, but the consensus among the pundits is that the former is the wiser path.