- Eddie Howe under pressure after Newcastle’s poor season
- Jose Mourinho and Andoni Iraola linked with Newcastle job
- Newcastle’s European hopes fading after major slump.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United future is under growing pressure as we look at the leading contenders to replace him if the club decides to make a change.
There should be no denying what Eddie Howe has done for Newcastle United during his four and a half years in charge. The Magpies were rock bottom of the Premier League when the former Bournemouth boss first took over in November 2021. Since then, Eddie Howe has transformed the club by guiding Newcastle to two Champions League qualifications and the 2025 League Cup title, their first major trophy in 70 years.
However, the drop-off under Howe this season has been alarming. After finishing fifth last season, the Toon Army currently finds itself way down in 14th this term, with several disastrous results triggering a monumental fall down the table. Newcastle have lost eight of their last 12 games, including their last three on the spin, throwing away leads at home to rivals Sunderland and away at Crystal Palace in the process.
After having faint hopes of another spot in the top five heading into the New Year, online betting sites now make the club an outsider to even finish in the top ten, let alone qualify for Europe.
Newcastle’s Plight This Season
With just four games remaining this term, the latest odds from https://www.luckyrebel.la currently make the Toon a 5/1 longshot to finish in the top half this term, with the opposite side of the line priced at 2/17. Should those predictions be accurate and Newcastle finish in the bottom half of the table, then questions surely have to be asked about Howe and whether he has taken the club as far as he possibly can.
His task this season was undoubtedly made more difficult after a turbulent summer in which star striker Alexander Isak held the club hostage in a bid to force through a move to Liverpool. Newcastle then missed out on a slew of top targets, further compounding the misery. But ultimately, that is professional football. It’s a results business, and Howe simply hasn’t got them this season.
So, if the club does ultimately pull the trigger and swing the axe, who could be next in line to replace the 48-year-old in the St. James’ Park hot seat next season? Let’s take a look.
Jose Mourinho
The sporting world has changed dramatically in recent years, and more changes could still come if the popular combat sports podcast below is correct. One thing that has stayed the same for more than two decades is Jose Mourinho’s box office appeal, with the Portuguese boss now the 2/1 favourite to become Newcastle’s next manager.
The Special One is currently back in his homeland managing Portuguese giants Benfica, and the 63 year-old has enjoyed a solid stint in Lisbon since returning home. The Eagles haven’t lost a single league game so far this season, while Mourinho also led them to the knockout round of the Champions League after a thrilling 4-2 win against Real Madrid in their final league phase game, with goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin shockingly netting in the 98th minute to secure progression.
Despite being unbeaten in the league this term, Benfica are lagging some seven points behind table toppers FC Porto, and it would take a minor miracle for them to somehow overthrow the Dragons with just four games remaining. Not only that, but Mourinho has been void of any success in recent years. His ill-fated reign in charge of Fenerbahçe offered plenty of promise but would ultimately end without silverware. Before that, he led Roma to victory in the inaugural edition of the Conference League in 2022, before losing the following season’s Europa League final in controversial circumstances.
Would he be an upgrade on Howe? The Special One would certainly bring the “it” factor, but only time will tell if he can deliver glory like he did at Chelsea, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid all those years ago remains to be seen.
Andoni Iraola
Andoni Iraola has already confirmed that he will be leaving his current club, Bournemouth, at the end of the season, and there is no shortage of teams looking at him as an option following his impressive stint in charge on the South Coast. The Spaniard has led the Cherries to the brink of European qualification for the first time this term, and he has done so on a relative shoestring budget compared to the Premier League’s heavy hitters.
Ernesto Valverde’s confirmed departure prompted expectations that the 43 year old would return to his beloved Athletic Bilbao. Iraola made over 500 appearances for the Basque Country outfit, claiming the captain’s armband and leading the club to three Copa Del Rey finals and a Europa League final. However, the Lions confirmed that instead it would be former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzić who steps into the San Mames hot-seat, seemingly clearing the way for Iraola to remain in the Premier
League.
The problem for Newcastle is that another job has recently opened up at Stamford Bridge following Chelsea’s dismissal of Liam Rosenior, ending the Englishman’s ill-fated reign after just 104 days in charge. Iraola is now considered the favourite for the Blues job at 6/4. He’s 2/1 for the Magpies’ hot seat as well, and it will be interesting to see which direction he heads in this summer.
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