Newcastle United are flying under Eddie Howe.
After a reasonably indifferent start to the season that saw Howe questioned (albeit mostly externally) following three defeats heading into the first international break, Newcastle have roared back into form.
The only disappointment in the period since was the loss to an in-form Borussia Dortmund and even that was a tight result.
Howe has his side purring. Even when making a raft of changes at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, they still thrashed Manchester United to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Still, it seems not everyone is convinced.
Eddie Howe: Simon Jordan still has Newcastle doubts
Indeed, speaking on talkSPORT on Thursday, pundit Simon Jordan questioned whether or not Howe would be the man to deliver the ultimate success at St James’ Park.
The former Crystal Palace owner believes Howe may not be the manager who wins the Premier League, a goal Amanda Staveley has already made clear.
“My belief system tells me that Newcastle will go on a journey,” he said.
“Eddie Howe will be a wonderful part of that journey but like other football clubs that have required gatekeepers to get you to different waypoints and different benchmarks, Howe may be one of those.
“If I’m wrong, I’m happy to back down from that. To win the Premier League takes a unique kind of manager and there ain’t many of them about.
“Now, he’s proving to be a unique manager for Newcastle because that bar hasn’t been set very high recently, with all due respect to those who have occupied that seat, because perhaps they haven’t had the opportunity or they haven’t had the environment.”
Eddie Howe: PIF have already made intentions clear
With Howe backed following a difficult start to the season, PIF’s faith in him is obvious.
Mehrdad Ghodoussi, after all, told The Athletic back in February 2022 that he wanted the former Bournemouth coach to be Newcastle’s version of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Quite whether or not such a feat is possible in the modern game is up for debate of course but its clear the owners have ultimate faith in Howe, even when things aren’t going particularly well.
For that reason, it’s hard to see them making a change any time soon. With Newcastle constantly improving, there’s little reason to.
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