Sky Sports analysts Gary Neville and Paul Merson have both voiced strong support for Eddie Howe’s position at Newcastle United, even though the club’s recent form has been disappointing. A string of poor results has seen the Magpies slip from a potential European‑competition spot to a mid‑table position in the Premier League. Newcastle managed to raise their level of play against Arsenal on Saturday’s edition of "Saturday Night Football," but despite a more convincing display they still fell 1‑0, marking their fourth consecutive league defeat.
The loss has intensified scrutiny on Howe, who now finds his side sitting 14th with 42 points – a mere six points above the relegation zone. Both pundits, however, argue that the manager should not be dismissed. Merson went further, suggesting that if Howe were to depart, Chelsea would be lining up to hire him without hesitation.
"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 even 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, emphasizing that the club should start planning for the next season and give Howe the resources to steer Newcastle back into Champions League contention. In his recent appearance on the Gary Neville Podcast recorded at the Emirates, the former Manchester United defender described the campaign as "really disappointing" and pointed to the summer transfer window as a key factor.
"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," Neville explained. He continued, "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. If we lost him, we’d have lost an eight‑and‑a‑half out of ten manager, someone who is a solid performer – reliable, consistent, with a great attitude." Neville believes the club should sit down with Howe and map out a clear recruitment plan for the upcoming season.
"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’," he 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 the Champions League next season." Howe is scheduled to meet the Newcastle hierarchy later this week. When asked by Sky Sports about the upcoming talks, he responded, "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." Mid‑fielder Bruno Guimarães offered a candid assessment of the team’s season after the narrow defeat to Arsenal. Speaking to Sky Sports, he admitted that while the Magpies finally displayed "passion" in that match, the overall performance was still insufficient. "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," Guimarães said.
He added, "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 questioned about the need for fresh faces in the squad given the grueling schedule across multiple competitions, Guimarães expressed optimism for future signings but cautioned that he could not comment in detail. "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 argue that Newcastle should stand by Eddie Howe, trusting his proven ability to guide the club back to the top of English football. They warn that losing him could trigger a rush of interest from elite clubs like Chelsea, potentially leaving the Magpies without one of the best managerial talents in the league. The consensus among the pundits is clear: give Howe the backing, the transfer resources, and the strategic planning he needs, and Newcastle could realistically aim for a return to Champions League qualification in the near future.