‘It’s not clicking’… Shay Given shares honest thoughts on Eddie Howe’s future at Newcastle United

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Eddie Howe finds himself under growing pressure at Newcastle United after an underwhelming start to the season.

Newcastle United have dropped down into the bottom half of the Premier League table following their toothless 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace.

Up next for the Magpies is a visit from league leaders Liverpool, who have not lost to Newcastle in nine years and have won six consecutive matches against the Toon.

Eddie Howe has sent a defiant message to supporters ahead of the match, defending his style of play and insisting he will always set up his side to entertain and attack.

However, attacking and entertaining has been Newcastle’s biggest problem this season. With just 14 goals scored in 13 league matches, Newcastle rank in the bottom five teams in terms of attacking output.

What Shay Given said about Eddie Howe’s future

Howe celebrated his three-year anniversary as Newcastle boss last month but now questions are beginning to be asked about his future.

Newcastle are still only four points away from the top four but supporters are growing concerned with performances and the lack of goals.

Former Newcastle star Shay Given has shared his verdict, and he believes Howe is still the “right man” for the job.

Speaking on the Monday Night Club, Given said: “There’s a frustration, I think, at Newcastle because we all speak about they’ve got the wealthiest owners in the world, and every time they open a door, it’s like, well, you can’t do this, and you can’t do that.

“It’s frustrating because when the takeover happened, you’ve seen the celebrations on the streets of Newcastle.

“I’m not saying they wanted to buy the Premier League or buy the Champions League, but they felt that they could really compete again at the very top table, and look, they dipped their toe in last year, of course, in the Champions League, but again, have they sort of plateaued a bit now, because Newcastle are sitting mid-table.

“I still think Eddie Howe is the right man, but at the same time, you know, as a new director of football, they can’t bring in all these players that maybe they feel that they have to, to actually compete both in the Premier League at the very top and in the Champions League.”

In a separate interview with talkSPORT, Given added: “For whatever reason, it’s not clicking in the forward areas. Eddie’s right, every team he’s managed, they’ve always been on the front foot, created chances and scored goals. The wheels haven’t totally come off, but it’s a matter of Isak in particular not clicking.”

Winter fixture list could define Eddie Howe’s future

The onslaught of games over the winter period could make or break Howe’s long-term plans at Newcastle.

If Newcastle can get through the next two months and remain in touching distance of the top four, then all questions and concerns around Howe will quickly evaporate.

READ MORE: Eddie Howe confirms whether Alexander Isak has trained ahead of Liverpool after suffering a hip injury

But if Newcastle continue to struggle and endure a slump in results, Newcastle chiefs could be forced to make a very difficult decision.

The next 5 games for Newcastle in the run-up to Christmas look like this: