Former Newcastle winger John Barnes says the club are waiting for Eddie Howe to fail to bring in a big-name manager.
Howe is under pressure after a disappointing season that saw the Saudi Arabian-owned club finish in 12th place in the Premier League despite an outlay last summer of over £200million on the likes of Nick Woltemade, Yoane Wissa, Anthony Elanga and Jacob Ramsey.
A significant number of supporters would like to see a change in the dug-out despite Howe leading Newcastle to their first piece of domestic silverware in 70 years by winning the 2025 EFL Cup.
Barnes told Historic Newspapers: “Eddie Howe won a trophy last year at Newcastle and everyone told him that he’d be loved if he won silverware.
“However, look at what happened with Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham. It’s now not enough to just win trophies; it’s about consistently challenging in those top six positions.
“Newcastle need to support Howe and his decisions a bit more, rather than waiting for things to go badly so they can replace him with a bigger name. It seems ever since he arrived that he’s been keeping the seat warm for a bigger manager to come in, but, unfortunately for them, he’s been doing such a good job.”
Newcastle fans should be careful what they wish for – Barnes
Barnes believes the Newcastle fans need to show patience with Howe and also show some realism regarding the kind of players they can attract to Tyneside.
He added: “Newcastle fans should be careful what they wish for. Even if a big manager comes in, they still won’t be able to attract the same calibre of players as the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, so they should appreciate what they currently have.”
Barnes’ point is emphasised by the fact Newcastle won’t be able to lure Elliot Anderson back to St James’ Park. Having sold the academy product to Nottingham Forest in 2024, Howe stated he would love to see him return but it appears the England international is now bound for Manchester City.
