After losing the Tyne-Wear derby, some are starting to doubt Eddie Howe. However, Jamie Carragher seems to be backing the Newcastle United boss all the way, and he’s wrong.
To preface this, I’ll say I don’t think Eddie Howe should lose his job. He’s done brilliantly at Newcastle United over the last few years and has delivered exactly what the fans wanted.
Thoughts on this Eddie Howe comment, Toon fans?
He's got some nerve saying we were good off the ball, we never even put a tackle in! 😡
But, that defeat to Sunderland and the manner of the performance was very disappointing, to say the least. Indeed, Howe got his tactics all wrong and he has to take a big portion of the blame.
There are a multitude of problems and reasons we could come up with for that display — team selection, system, mentality — and to be honest, there’s no reason why all of it can’t be true.
- READ MORE: Anthony Elanga’s performance for Newcastle United vs Sunderland leaves Eddie Howe with no doubts
What Jamie Carragher said about Newcastle United
Assessing where it all went wrong for Newcastle on the day, Jamie Carragher told Sky Sports viewers that the Magpies’ shocking away form is very worrying, but he also refused to pin the blame on the Newcastle United manager.
He said: “It’s a huge concern. Really big. The situation in the summer, and for two summers running, Howe has not had a lot of help… but they’re really worrying results. The manner of those defeats as well, is not what I associate with Eddie Howe’s Newcastle team.
“It’s maybe something I would associate with his Bournemouth team a good few years ago, where maybe you could get at them, defensively they were not great.”
When quizzed as to whether questions will be asked of Howe, Carragher replied: “Of course. Rightly so. Newcastle are a huge club with big ambitions, but Eddie Howe has done an unbelievable job. I don’t think many could have done any better.
“But once you’ve won a trophy, qualified for the Champions League, the question is can they compete for a title? Again I go back to the summer, and the summer before, he was not helped in the transfer market. There’s a lack of leadership at the top at Newcastle… I believe he has been let down by Newcastle.”
Before that game against Sunderland, Eddie Howe wanted no excuses. To me, however, these Carragher comments sound like exactly that, and they’re not entirely valid.
After losing on Sunday, do you think Newcastle United will finish higher than Sunderland this season?
They weren't particularly great, but they didn't need to be.
Newcastle spent more than enough this summer, they just got it wrong
Was the summer transfer window ideal for Newcastle? Absolutely not. Losing Alexander Isak was always going to be a massive blow, and it’s clearly had an effect on the team and the system Howe plays.
But, to suggest that Howe was not backed in the summer is ludicrous. The club spent around £243m on five big signings. Even in losing Isak, Newcastle could and should be doing far better after investing that kind of money.
The fact of the matter is, the money was spent but it was spent poorly. Yes, Nick Woltemade has been a success (aside from his own goal this weekend) and Malick Thiaw has been a revelation. The signings of Jacob Ramsey and Anthony Elanga, however — costing a combined £93m, give or take — are examples of how the club has failed in the transfer market.
We’ve had months now for these players to settle in and for Howe to learn how to use them all effectively, and it’s just not happening on a consistent basis.
It would be silly to say the end is nigh for Howe, but to make excuses for what we watched this weekend would be even more ridiculous.
Sign up to TalkingPoints for free to join the conversation about all things Newcastle United with Geordie Boot Boys!
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
