Newcastle
Report: What remains completely uncertain about Yasir Al-Rumayyan and Eddie Howe at Newcastle
There is one great uncertainty at Newcastle United regarding Eddie Howe and his future as manager.
Questions are starting to be asked of Eddie Howe, who is struggling to replicate what he achieved last season when he got Newcastle United into the Champions League.
There was always going to be a regression, but it was not expected to be quite as severe. But there is a caveat to that, as injuries and the suspension to Sandro Tonali have stretched the Toon squad beyond belief.
They may sound like excuses, but it is a perfectly logical explanation as to why Newcastle are suddenly not doing as well as they were.
The majority of fans know this, and have complete confidence in Howe’s ability. The same goes for the likes of Amanda Staveley and co, with the British strand of the ownership fully backing the manager.
However, it is unknown if the feeling is mutual in Saudi Arabia.
Unclear how Yasir Al-Rumayyan and PIF feel about Eddie Howe at Newcastle
According to the Athletic, it is completely unknown how chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan feels about Howe’s future as Newcastle United manager.
And that is a slight concern, as they hold all of the power at St James’ Park. PIF own 80% of the club, and they are the main decision makers.
The Athletic add that Newcastle’s other owners think that changing manager would be premature, even if the Magpies are knocked out of the FA Cup this weekend.
You have to hope that Al-Rumayyan shares that view, although this season will not be seen as a success. And that is what they are here for. They are not here for the ride, they are here to win trophies and become the biggest club in the world.
Given their ambitions, there is every chance they could view this season as a failure and decide that a new manager is required.
That view would possibly be misguided, and you have to believe that they will also see the obstacles that have been put in front of Howe this season and realise that he is absolutely still the right man for the job.
When Newcastle were struggling at the start of the season, Howe retained the support of Al-Rumayyan. In fact, the only thing he asked was what can he do to help. You would like to think his stance remains the same, as the club hurtle towards a vital summer rebuild as they head into the next phase of this project.
