Gary Neville and Paul Merson, both regular Sky Sports analysts, have publicly thrown their support behind Eddie Howe despite Newcastle United’s recent slump that has seen the club tumble from European contention to a mid‑table position in the Premier League. Their comments came after Newcastle’s latest outing, a narrow 1‑0 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday Night Football, which marked the Magpies’ fourth consecutive league loss.
The string of setbacks has placed Howe under intense scrutiny, with Newcastle currently sitting 14th on the table with 42 points – a mere six points above the relegation zone. Nevertheless, neither pundit believes the manager should be dismissed. Merson went further, suggesting that if Howe were to leave, Chelsea would be among the first clubs to make a move for him, adding that the London side would be "taking him all day long" as they continue their search for a permanent head coach.
"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 on 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 back Howe and start planning for the next season with the aim of returning to the Champions League. On his own podcast recorded at the Emirates over the weekend, 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 stressed that the club should place "full faith and trust in Eddie Howe" because the manager possesses a rare combination of reliability, consistency and a winning attitude.
"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 said. Neville warned that losing Howe would be a massive blow: "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." He imagined a scenario in which Howe would sit down with the board to outline his squad plans for the upcoming season, targeting a handful of new signings while the transfer market is still relatively quiet before the World Cup.
"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'." The former defender concluded with optimism, stating that Newcastle have the potential to become a top‑six side again if they back their manager properly: "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 himself is scheduled to meet the club’s hierarchy later this week. When Sky Sports asked him about the upcoming talks, he replied, "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." Midfielder Bruno Guimarães offered a candid assessment of Newcastle’s season after the Arsenal game, acknowledging that the team finally displayed a spark of passion despite the loss. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said, "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 highlighted the inconsistency that has plagued the Magpies, noting that the squad has been oscillating between strong and weak performances: "[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 whether he hoped the club would bring in new players after a grueling schedule across multiple competitions, Guimarães replied, "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." In summary, both Neville and Merson advocate for stability at Newcastle, emphasizing that Howe’s track record and character merit continued backing. They argue that a rushed dismissal could not only damage the club’s short‑term prospects but also open the door for rival clubs, particularly Chelsea, to swoop in for a manager who has already proven his worth by delivering a historic trophy after a 70‑year drought. The consensus among the pundits is clear: give Howe the time and resources he needs, and Newcastle could once again be a contender for European football, possibly even a Champions League spot, in the near future.