The Jose Mourinho to Newcastle United rumours are never going to go away.
Right now, Eddie Howe is the Newcastle United manager. He is the man that guided the Magpies to safety in 2022, got them to a cup final and qualified for the Champions League.
Howe has done so much right since getting the job at St James’ Park, and there is scope for him to do so much more. He is an incredible manager, and PIF would be making a huge mistake if they ever let him go.
There was relief on Tyneside when Thomas Tuchel got the England job, as it meant that Eddie Howe was not going to be poached by the FA.
But while Howe has not left Newcastle, there is already a queue forming to take his place at St James’ Park.
Jose Mourinho wants to replace Eddie Howe at Newcastle
It was reported by the Guardian on November 8th that Jose Mourinho wants to become Newcastle manager if there was a vacancy on Tyneside.
They claimed that he is eyeing a return to English football, and has asked to be kept informed about any developments at St James’ Park.
The story came out on Eddie Howe’s three-year anniversary as Toon boss, at a time when his Newcastle United team are clicking into gear once again. The Magpies are just one point off third in the Premier League, and there is no reason why anyone would want to see the back of Howe.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 6 |  BrightonBrighton | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 19 | 15 | 4 | 19 |
| 7 |  FulhamFulham | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 18 |
| 8 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 18 |
| 9 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 17 | 0 | 18 |
Howe has the backing of PIF chief Yasir Al-Rumayyan, while the story surrounding Mourinho’s desire to take over at Newcastle United caused bewilderment behind the scenes at St James’ Park.
How Newcastle have reacted to the Jose Mourinho story
That is according to the Athletic, who report that the Newcastle United hierarchy were baffled by the story that claimed Mourinho wants to be their next manager.
The Athletic add that Newcastle have complete faith in Howe and have not been looking at alternative managers.
And nor should they. And even if they were, appointing Mourinho would be a mistake.
Newcastle must avoid Jose Mourinho
Sure, he is the type of blockbuster name that the mainstream media would love to see at St James’ Park, and he does have a connection to the club given his relationship with Sir Bobby Robson.
However, Mourinho is not the calibre of manager he once was. That is why he is at Fenerbahce in Turkey, rather than challenging to win a third Champions League trophy with one of Europe’s elite clubs.
It is understandable that he would want the Newcastle job. Of course he would. He has a connection to the club, and it is a club that has the backing of PIF and ambitions to challenge for honours. That is where Mourinho believes he should be, and Newcastle are probably the biggest club he can hope for if he is serious about managing in England again.
But Mourinho can want the Newcastle job as much as he likes. Newcastle are not planning to make a change, and even if they were, they would not be targeting Mourinho.
For the Newcastle owners and fans, Howe is their special one, not Mourinho.
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