Eddie Howe’s decision to leave Newcastle United has come out of nowhere for the fans. But the swiftness with which the club have moved to try and replace him with Matthias Jaissle does suggest that the exit might have been in the pipeline for a little while.
It is curious that the decision has come the day after Newcastle United lost a pre-season friendly 4-1 at the hands of Championship side Bristol City. The timing is very interesting, to say the least. Did that result lead to the exit?
Or was it a result of the club’s transfer activity this summer? They have seen the likes of Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon leave and have replaced them with unproven youngsters.
Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has now shed some light on the real reasons behind Howe’s decision to quit Newcastle United before the season has even started.
Keith Downie confirms real reason Eddie Howe has quit
According to Downie, the decision had nothing to do with last night’s friendly defeat against Bristol City. It had been in the pipeline for two weeks.
Howe had given his full commitment at the end of the season, but has changed his mind. He is now set to take a break from football. The manager wanted the club to have a replacement lined up before he left. That is why Jessle is already in advanced talks to take over.
Howe feels that he has taken it as far as he can after nearly five years at the helm at St James’ Park. This is the English manager’s decision. The club tried to convince him to stay but have reluctantly accepted his decision.
So, that is all there is to say about this Howe situation and how his move away from St James’ Park has unfolded. We can only wish him the best of luck moving forward.
Howe deserves all the credit in the world
It is safe to say that there is a large section of the Newcastle United fanbase that wanted to see Howe gone. So, they might view this exit as a positive.
In the long run, it remains to be seen how it turns out for the Magpies though. We have seen West Ham United show David Moyes the exit door and then fall on hard times. One would hope that Newcastle United do not find themselves in a similar situation and are able to navigate this better.
Last season’s 12th-place finish cannot erase everything Howe achieved as Newcastle United manager. He guided them into the Champions League on more than one occasion and delivered the League Cup, ending their 70-year wait for a trophy.
The Englishman is the Magpies’ most successful manager in modern history. There can be no question about it. Hopefully, he will get his due credit now.
As for the club, it does seem like a transitional phase for them. Just look at the transfer activity this summer. And with Jaissle coming in, that idea has just been underlined with a highlighter.
