Sky Sports analysts Gary Neville and Paul Merson have both stepped forward to defend Eddie Howe’s position at Newcastle United, despite the club’s recent dip in form that has seen the Magpies slip from a potential European‑competition contender to a mid‑table side in the Premier League. Newcastle’s latest outing was a hard‑fought but ultimately disappointing display against Arsenal on Saturday Night Football, where they fell 1-0. The loss marked the fourth straight defeat in the league and has intensified the scrutiny on Howe, who now finds his team sitting 14th with 42 points – a precarious six points above the relegation zone. Even with the pressure mounting, neither Neville nor Merson believes that Howe should be dismissed.
Merson went as far as to suggest that, should Howe ever decide to walk away, Chelsea would be lining up to hire him "all day long," and that there would be a flurry of interest from other top clubs, including speculation about a future England managerial role. "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 a similar sentiment, urging Newcastle to back their manager fully and start planning for the next season. He highlighted the importance of stability and continuity, noting that Howe’s track record – including delivering Newcastle’s first major trophy in seven decades – should earn him the club’s unwavering support.
"It's a really disappointing season," Neville admitted on his podcast recorded at the Emirates. "The transfer business at the end of the window in the summer was a real problem for them. They ended up with Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa and that's just not paid off yet. I think full faith and trust in Eddie Howe is the way to go.
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." Neville went on to stress that losing Howe would be a massive blow: "They will be thinking 'if we lost him, we've lost an eight‑and‑a‑half out of 10 manager, someone who's a real solid performer – reliable, consistent, someone who's got a great attitude'.
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 shifts for me, 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'. 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 there and I think he'll get them back up challenging for Champions League next season." Howe is scheduled to meet the Newcastle hierarchy later this week. When asked about the upcoming talks, he responded calmly, "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." The players themselves have offered candid reflections on the campaign. Mid‑fielder Bruno Guimarães, speaking to Sky Sports, admitted that while the team showed a spark of passion in the narrow loss to Arsenal, the overall performance has been inconsistent. "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. 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. 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." Guimarães also hinted at the need for fresh faces to rejuvenate the squad after a grueling schedule across multiple competitions.
"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 added. Both pundits and players agree that Newcastle’s immediate future hinges on decisive action in the transfer market and a clear, united vision from the board and coaching staff.
The club’s recent signings – Woltemade and Wissa – have yet to make a decisive impact, underscoring the urgency for further reinforcement. In summary, while the Magpies endure a challenging phase, the consensus among seasoned analysts like Neville and former teammates like Merson is that Eddie Howe remains a valuable asset whose expertise and leadership should be retained. Their arguments stress that stability, strategic squad planning, and unwavering support for Howe could restore Newcastle to a position where they once again compete for European spots and perhaps, in the near future, challenge for Champions League qualification.