TalkSPORT pundit Dean Saunders has revealed what he thinks Eddie Howe must do ahead of Newcastle United’s derby fixture against Sunderland this weekend.
Newcastle will play Sunderland in the FA Cup for the first time since 1956 on Saturday and Howe faces a huge dilemma after a terrible run of results in the last month.
Saunders has been speaking on talkSPORT where he claimed that Howe simply has to pick his strongest team to start the game as it is now a must-win game.
Newcastle have to beat Sunderland
There is no alternative. Newcastle have no choice but to beat Sunderland and progress to the fourth round regardless of what either side’s form currently looks like.
A defeat would be disastrous for Newcastle not in terms of the owners’ long-term project but more in terms of how it impacts the fans and the future of Howe who is already under pressure.
Seven defeats in their last eight games has left the Magpies in a very precarious position in the Premier League and knocked them out of both the Carabao Cup and Champions League.
So, any hopes of ending the trophy drought rests on defeating their biggest rivals this weekend and easing the pressure on both the manager and the players who have been heavily criticised these last few weeks.
On the show, Saunders said: “This fixture against Sunderland is like Celtic v Rangers, the rivalry.
“Sunderland have been down in the dumps for a few years but now they’re getting back, Michale Beale’s taken over.
“He [Eddie Howe] can’t go into that game with a weakened team, they’ve got to win it.”
Howe deserves the chance to see out the season
Unless there is a serious downward turn in Newcastle’s form that sees them out of all competitions and drifting well below mid-table in the league, Howe has earned the right to see out the rest of the season.
It’s become quite clear that Newcastle are unwilling to spend big in January and will be saving any marquee signings for the summer, so in some respects the pressure will be off.
Of course, if Newcastle get to February and are still struggling not only to get results but to also get their performances back to last years standards, especially with playing one game a week, then few will be surprised to see Howe forced out.
But everything that the owners have said up until this point suggests that the 46-year-old has the full support of those at the top and deservedly so after last season’s heroic display.
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