Sky Sports analysts Gary Neville and Paul Merson have both come out in support of Eddie Howe’s position at Newcastle United, despite the club’s recent dip in form that has seen the Magpies slide 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 "Saturday Night Football" – a defeat that marked the team’s fourth consecutive league loss and left them sitting 14th with 42 points, a mere six points above the relegation zone. The defeat has amplified the pressure on Howe, but neither pundit believes the manager should be dismissed. Merson even suggested that if Howe were to leave, Chelsea would move quickly to secure his services, adding that the London club would be “taking him all day long.” He went on to say that discussions were already underway about Howe potentially becoming England’s next manager, and that a host of clubs would line up to hire him if he became available.
"I'm a big fan of Eddie Howe and if he leaves, they will be queuing up around the corner. Be careful Newcastle," Merson said during the broadcast. "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, urging Newcastle to start planning for the next season and to give Howe the resources he needs to bring the club back into Champions League contention.
Speaking on his own podcast from the Emirates, the former Manchester United defender described the current campaign as “really disappointing” and pointed to the summer transfer window as a major factor. He criticised the signings of Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, saying they have yet to make a significant impact. "I think full faith and trust in Eddie Howe is the way to go," Neville argued. "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. If we lost him, we'd have lost an eight‑and‑a‑half out of ten manager – someone solid, reliable, consistent, with a great attitude." Neville went on to outline what he believes should happen in the upcoming weeks. He expects Howe to sit down with the club’s hierarchy, review the squad, and identify the players he wants to retain and the new faces he intends to bring in. "They’ll be thinking ‘if we lost him, we’ve lost an eight‑and‑a‑half out of ten manager,’" Neville said.
"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 for next season.’" The former defender stressed that Newcastle must back Howe fully, both in terms of transfer funding and strategic support. "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 the Champions League next season." Howe himself acknowledged the upcoming meeting with the club’s owners, describing it as a routine part of the season but hinting that this year’s discussion would be a bit tougher. "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. Mid‑fielder Bruno Guimarães offered a candid assessment of Newcastle’s season after the Arsenal game. While he praised the team’s passion on the night, he admitted that the overall performance was not enough to meet the club’s 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 the importance of the remaining four games, stating that Newcastle must fight to secure a European place for the next campaign. "We have four games to save it and at least try to qualify for European football next season. I know the fans are very sad – the same as we are – and definitely we have to improve," he added.
Guimarães also spoke about the inconsistency that has plagued the side, noting that they have been bouncing between good and bad performances throughout the season. "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," he explained. When asked whether he hoped the club would bring in new players after a demanding schedule across multiple competitions, Guimarães was cautiously optimistic.
"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 said. In summary, both Neville and Merson are urging Newcastle United to stand firmly behind Eddie Howe, emphasizing his proven track record, his recent trophy win – the first for the club in seven decades – and his potential to guide the Magpies back into the upper echelons of English football.
The consensus among the pundits is clear: fire the manager now, and Newcastle could find themselves in a frantic scramble for a new appointment, while keeping Howe could lay the groundwork for a return to Champions League ambitions in the coming season.