EDDIE HOWE CONFIRMS HE EXPECTS TO REMAIN NEWCASTLE MANAGER NEXT SEASON
Eddie Howe remains defiant about his Newcastle future after "challenging" talks with PIF owners regarding the club's 14th-place slump.
Eddie Howe’s not shying away from the pressure. Even with all the talk about his future at St James’ Park, he’s backing himself to stay on as Newcastle United head coach next season.
What a difference a year makes. A season ago, Newcastle were celebrating an EFL Cup win and a fifth-place league finish. Now, they’re down in 14th, just stumbling through 2026. Cup runs? Both were cut short by Manchester City. The Champions League? An 8-3 thrashing on aggregate against Barcelona in the last 16. In the league, it’s gone from bad to worse: nine losses from the last 12 matches, more than any other Premier League side since January.
European dreams? Barely there. Newcastle are seven points back from Bournemouth, sitting in seventh, with only four games left. Champions League qualification is totally out of reach; they’re a whopping 16 points off fifth.
On Thursday, Howe found himself at Matfen Hall for the club’s big annual summit with Newcastle’s Saudi-backed owners and executives. “Challenging conversations” is how he put it.
Fast forward to Friday’s pre-match press conference ahead of Brighton, and Howe didn’t dodge questions about his future or the club’s direction.
When a reporter asked if he’ll still be the manager next season, Howe shot straight: “Yeah, I presented; we discussed. The questions were tough, but that’s normal. Every year, no matter where we are in the league, there are challenging questions about decisions, about what led us here. You just explain your thinking. Sure, the questions are harder this year with where we are, but the process was the same as always.”
He’s not pretending things haven’t been tough, but he says he’s as driven as ever. “I don’t need to search for clarity about my future. I’m here, I’m working, I’m committed. The club has to feel we’re on the right path, that the feeling inside is positive, and that we fight on all fronts.”
And he gets it: the reality of football management never goes away. “You can say whatever you want, but it’s what the team does on the pitch that matters. I know that. I don’t need reinvigorating; I feel it already. The motivation's there.”
Howe admits that tough runs make you take a good, hard look at everything. “I’m learning more right now than I have in a long time. Sometimes, the hardest moments are when you improve the most.”
Does he expect to be here next season? “I have to keep that confidence. If you lose the long-term vision, what’s the point? But we need to win games. There’s unity at the club, but let's be honest, my job depends on results.”
Howe is also convinced the Saudi Public Investment Fund, Newcastle's 85% owners, aren’t losing faith in the mission.
“The ambition hasn’t changed,” he said. “The goal’s still the same: get to the top of the Premier League and win trophies regularly. As long as the PIF is the owner, I don’t see that changing. They’re very ambitious for the club. A lot of things, infrastructure-wise, take time. You can’t just snap your fingers. Everything’s connected to income, and rushing things risks getting it wrong.”
For now, Howe’s staring down the more immediate problem: snapping a four-game winless streak as Newcastle face Brighton this weekend. And he’s just given the latest on top scorer Anthony Gordon’s fitness because that’s what really matters on Saturday.
WHY NEWCASTLE UNITED ARE READY TO CUT LOSSES ON THEIR £55M STAR YOANE WISSA
Newcastle United are planning a major summer overhaul, with Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade both up for sale after struggling.
Newcastle are trying to move on from Yoane Wissa, even though they just splashed £55 million on him less than a year ago. Wissa, 29, joined last September on deadline day, part of the rush to find someone to fill Alexander Isak’s shoes. Nick Woltemade, another big signing, arrived at the same time.
Isak’s transfer got more attention, but Wissa’s story had its drama. He threatened to go on strike at Brentford and left their pre-season camp before Newcastle finally got their man, handing him the iconic No. 9 shirt. Since then, though, it’s just not worked out for either side.
Wissa was injured until December and has managed only three goals so far for Newcastle, far short of the 20 he scored in his last season at Brentford. Lately, he’s slipped down the order under Eddie Howe. William Osula and Woltemade keep getting picked ahead of him; he’s started just once in the last sixteen matches.
The Athletic reports that Wissa wants to stay, but the club is prepared to let him go and absorb the financial hit. If they do manage to sell him, Brentford get 25% of the fee thanks to a sell-on clause.
There’s still a tiny window for Wissa to change things. With four games left and Newcastle stuck in 14th place, maybe he can convince the club to keep him. Earlier in the season, he even skipped the Africa Cup of Nations just to stay fit and fight for his place.
Still, it’s been rough. Even Eddie Howe admitted, “The hardest thing for Yoane is that he wanted to rush back and prove himself, but we haven’t been able to train him properly. It’s been all stop-start. The best is still to come; I think a proper pre-season would really help.”
Fans have to wonder what Wissa’s exit would mean for Woltemade, too. Rumours say he could be leaving soon as well. Newcastle paid up to £69 million for him to fend off Bayern Munich, but nothing is settled yet.
EDDIE HOWE PRAISES NEWCASTLE'S "BRAVERY" DESPITE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE LOSS IN ALL COMPETITIONS
Eddie Howe finds hope in Newcastle's 1-0 loss to Arsenal, despite the Magpies suffering their ninth defeat in twelve league games.
Eddie Howe spoke out after Newcastle United’s rough run continued with a narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal, making it nine defeats in their last twelve Premier League games.
No team has lost more matches or let in more goals than Newcastle in 2026. This latest result, a fifth straight defeat in all competitions, adds to that miserable tally.
Right now, Newcastle are stuck in 14th, eight points clear of the drop with only four games left, and eight points away from sixth and a possible shot at European football. If we’re being honest, neither relegation nor a miracle climb up the table is likely, but mathematically, there’s still a chance.
Still, despite everything working against his team, Howe tried to zero in on the good stuff after the loss in North London.
Arsenal owed their win to Eberechi Eze’s early goal, but Howe saw reasons to be encouraged. He pointed to the team’s fight, saying, “I thought it was much better from us as a group of men." We stood up to Arsenal physically, which hasn’t always been the case lately.”
He sounded almost relieved: “We were more solid off the ball, the defending was better, and we looked much more like ourselves. Defending our goal has been a clear weakness, but today we improved. Sure, we still conceded and lost, and that’s what people remember most. However, I saw positive signs; maybe we’re finally regaining some of the defensive mentality we’ve been missing. We’ll need it for the run-in.”
Howe also mentioned the team’s work in possession, especially with Bruno Guimaraes back in midfield: “We looked braver on the ball and controlled our build-up more. We created a few chances.”
But he didn’t sugarcoat the big picture: “Overall, I’m much happier with that performance, but I can’t ignore the fact we keep losing.”
Newcastle actually started brightly; William Osula got in on goal right at the start, thanks to a pass from Joe Willock, but lost his footing at the crucial moment. Later, Yoane Wissa fired over after good work from Nick Woltemade.
Howe said, “We had our moments, just not as many as you’d want. From Osula’s run in the first few seconds to Wissa’s late chance, Dan Burn’s back-post header, and Tonali’s shot that Raya saved well, there were opportunities.”
He admitted it was tough to score more against an Arsenal defence that’s been so reliable: “You never come here expecting loads of chances, but we had enough to feel we were in the game.”
With so many players learning to play together, Howe felt the team’s unfamiliarity showed at times. “It wasn’t perfect, but I can’t fault the players’ effort. I’ve been plenty critical in recent weeks, but this was better. In the end, it still wasn’t enough, but at least there’s something positive to build on.”
_1776700615.webp)
