That has to change if Eddie Howe is going to keep his job – BBC Sport pundit


 
 
 
 
 
 

Some interesting comments from this BBC Sport pundit on Newcastle United.

Chris Sutton speaking ahead of Saturday’s match at St James’ Park.

Eddie Howe and his players looking to follow up their progress to the last eight of the FA Cup, with a Premier League victory against Wolves.

Pointing out to BBC Sport what he sees as the relevant situations of the two clubs, is Chris Sutton getting it right this time?

Chris Sutton talking to BBC Sport – 29 February 2024:

“The more I see of Wolves, the more I can see why they are doing well.

“They are well organised and carry a threat, although Matheus Cunha’s injury is a blow.

“Like Gary O’Neil’s side, Newcastle also reached the FA Cup quarter-finals in midweek – but they were a bit fortunate to get past my old team, Blackburn, on penalties, and their display underlined how they are not the force they were last season.

“Just as I’ve been doing with Everton, I keep backing Newcastle at home but they haven’t won any of their past four games at St James’ Park.

“That has to change if Eddie Howe is going to keep his job.

“I don’t think he is on the verge of being sacked but he does need a strong end to the season to maintain that belief that he is the man to take them forward.

“Of course he is striving to do that but, right now, they are 10th and miles off the kind of form they showed to crack the Champions League places last season, when Howe over-achieved.

“Wherever they finish in the table, they need to get back to being the swashbuckling team they were earlier on in this campaign.

“The more I think about it, the more I think Wolves will nick this but I am actually going to keep backing Newcastle, because the law of averages means they are going to win at St James’ Park again sooner or later.

“Prediction: Newcastle 2 Wolves 1”

There is obviously one part that massively stands out from the BBC Sport pundit, when he declares ‘I keep backing Newcastle at home but they haven’t won any of their past four games at St James’ Park. That has to change if Eddie Howe is going to keep his job.’

Nobody is pretending that Newcastle United have been at their best recently but Chris Sutton ‘forgets’ to mention one or two other facts.

With our ‘luck’ in cup draws massively contributing to this, Eddie Howe and his players have faced five away matches in their last seven fixtures, seven away games in their last ten.

So whilst Newcastle United have failed to win any of their last four home games, they have won five of their last six away matches.

Surely if you are looking at things objectively, this BBC Sport pundit has to mention both things, doesn’t he?

Otherwise some cynics / sceptics might almost think there is some kind of agenda…?

The three home matches in 2024 have seen Newcastle leading 2-1 at home against Man City until the 74th minute, then world class magic from the bench proved too much for an NUFC team tiring and with such limited available options off the bench.

Then in the other two St James’ Park match, Newcastle came from 4-2 down to Luton and 2-1 down to Bournemouth, to get a draw in both. Again, nobody pretends these were great overall performances against Forest and Luton but at the same time, what isn’t in doubt is that the players are playing for Eddie Howe and the fans and showed great character in those last two home games, as they did at Blackburn on Tuesday night.

Of course Eddie Howe will see his future eventually decided by how the team perform, the same as any other manager. Whether that is end of this season or sometime in the distant future, the fact is that all managers will leave their club(s) at some point, with more than 99 per cent of the time that due to results not having been as good as the club would like them to be.

The other ‘small’ fact that of course the BBC Sport pundit chooses to ignore, is the unprecedented injury crisis Eddie Howe has had to deal with. It is only now that he is finally getting some kind of squad back together with options off the bench, with so many recently returning players still in the process of getting back to full match fitness. With then the NUFC Head Coach having to find the best combination of players to get performances up to what they need to be, building on this hard fought run of the past seven matches, where United have won four, drawn two and only lost to title chasing Arsenal away from home. Even now NUFC are still missing massive players in the shape of Nick Pope, Joelinton, Callum Wilson and Sandro Tonali.

It is ironic that Sutton decides to totally ignore the injury situation Eddie Howe has been hit with, as just this midweek a new report commissioned, coincidentally, by BBC Sport (see HERE), showed that Newcastle United have been by far the hardest hit of all Premier League clubs this season. More injuries than any other PL club and most importantly, hundreds of days lost to injuries more than any other PL club and in many / most cases these have been key players out for long periods. This doesn’t include the hundreds of days Tonali is missing this season due to the ban he picked up, the midfielder who was Eddie Howe’s biggest summer signing ahead of this season.

I also find it amusing that when Chris Sutton cherry picks his ‘facts’, he fails to mention that on Wednesday night Wolves were at home in the FA Cup, but had only 28 per cent possession and after scrambling a goal in the second minute, they only had one other effort on target in the entire match. Some might even say they were lucky to get through…

Returning to the actual match tomorrow, I think fair to say that it does feel like a game where Newcastle United need to win it, if NUFC are to have realistic aspirations of going on a late run of Premier League form, home and away, to see how far we could get up this table come the end of the season.