So, let’s be honest, who could blame Eddie Howe for deciding to call it a day after four and a half years on Tyneside?
That’s what I thought too.
For the show of hands among Geordies who wanted change were in the distinct minority.
Sure, last season was a major disappointment for the Magpies as they ended up conceding seven in Catalonia in an embarrassing Champions League exit, while their League Cup Final defence was emphatically ended at the semi-final stage.
An underwhelming 12th-place Premier League finish merely exacerbated the misery.
Yet the very fact those last two sentences exist shows just what Howe achieved during his tenure.
Remember, when he arrived at the club in November 2021, the team was in a genuine relegation battle.
Less than 18 months later, they had not only survived with plenty to spare but reached the League Cup Final and qualified for Europe’s top tier for the first time in two decades.
Howe may have been significantly backed in the transfer market but he was a good judge of character when you assess the calibre of players he brought to the North East.
And that’s wherein lies the problem now.
Who could blame him for handing in his resignation when he saw a number of the players he signed (and improve) leave for pastures need at premium prices?
He was given funds to spend, but he must have privately fumed at the loss of Anthony Gordon (£70 million to Barcelona), Sandro Tonali (£92m to Spurs) and what looks the likely departure of captain Bruno Guimaraes (to Arsenal).
This after Alexander Isak was allowed to be sold last summer, albeit for a British record £130m, must have been soul destroying.
Selling three of your best players in the space of one year, and possibly a fourth, is not conducive to becoming a top club and meant he was unable to build on what he had started. Howe’s coaches Jason Tindall, Graeme Jones, Stephen Purches and Simon Weatherstone are also leaving St James’ Park, along with head of performance Dan Hodges.
Yes, his more recent recruitment can rightly be questioned and Premier League 2026 highlights were certainly few and far between this year as Howe’s men struggled to juggle the schedule of domestic and European commitments.
But after finishing fifth the previous season to guide them to the Champions League for the second time in three years, rounding off a campaign in which they ended 55 years of hurt in spectacular fashion with a memorable League Cup triumph, he was proving his worth.
Question marks on why they have gone backwards will now likely be unanswered as a new era begins – one which, in the opinion of this SBOTOP observer, throws up a huge question mark against the football knowledge of the club’s owners.
Our Premier League 2026 betting odds agree incidentally – priced @ 101.00 to be title winners.
Now let’s not jump to conclusions as Howe’s successor, Matthias Jaissle, is no mug.
The 38 year-old German will leave Jeddah as a hero and arrive in the north-east as one of the most successful coaches in the history of Asian football.
He joined Al-Ahli in 2023 and led the Saudi club to back-to-back AFC Champions League titles in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
A decade younger than Howe, Jaissle has achieved plenty, not only surviving in a Saudi Pro League that chews through coaches at a rapid rate but emerging victorious. It also helps that Al-Ahli and Newcastle share the same Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) owners.
He will inherit some real talent on Tyneside and if reports are to be believed, Newcastle fans can look forward to even more attacking next term and a new style of play.
But success in Saudi hardly acts as a barometer to bring back continuity, let alone the good times, for the Toon – even if two titles in an Austria with Red Bull Salzburg points to a pedigree.
This time 12 months ago, even accounting for the Isak saga (and the club did well to hold out for a good amount of money), there was plenty of excitement on Tyneside.
Fast forward a year, and the reality is very different.
After buying Newcastle in 2021, PIF spent £404.7m in the first three years. But by bringing in only £50.4m from sales, Newcastle saw the stark reality of financial fair play regulations hit home in 2024.
What happens next could be crucial and the difference between the North East giants becoming an established top six club or mid table outfit.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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