Journalist shares what he was told last month about Eddie Howe’s future at Newcastle

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It has not been an easy season for Newcastle United.

While it could yet result in Newcastle qualifying for the Europa League, it has not been a case of plain sailing for the club.

The reasons for that are plentiful.

Indeed, Eddie Howe is believed to be pointing towards issues from last summer’s recruitment and the ludicrous injury crisis as reasons for their malaise.

Insiders at St James’ Park are believed to view Sandro Tonali’s ban from football as something that has derailed the campaign, while the sheer number of absences Howe has had to contend with has not made things easy – whether Newcastle could be doing more to avoid them or not.

As a result of some of the struggles this time around, other managers have been linked with a move to St James’.

Jose Mourinho has been tipped as a replacement but there have consistently been reports that PIF are backing Howe.

Now, some more insight has emerged.

The latest on Eddie Howe’s future at Newcastle

Speaking on the Football Daily Podcast, ESPN reporter Mark Ogden talked of Howe’s standing at Newcastle.

He claims the manager is safe in his job unless something truly dramatic happens and that the club couldn’t even afford to sack him if they wanted to.

“I was told about a month ago that the reason both [Mauricio] Pochettino and Eddie Howe are safe unless something dramatic happens, is because both clubs have posted such big losses they can’t afford to sack a manager, pay up, appoint a new guy and pay his compensation,” he said.

“You’re talking £20-25m, and in an era when clubs need to keep their losses small, they can’t afford to get rid.”

Newcastle players proving they still back Eddie Howe

It’s interesting to note that Newcastle may struggle to sack Howe due to FFP issues even if they had chosen to.

Luckily, however, that seems a long way off.

It has been a difficult season but Newcastle’s players are proving they are still on Howe’s side. They have not downed tools and continue to battle through the adversity of an unrelenting injury crisis, even if they aren’t always convincing.

Howe has certainly more than earned their support.