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Challenging times ahead for Newcastle – Shearer
Alan Shearer says Eddie Howe’s departure leaves Newcastle facing a difficult period, despite the manager’s transformative achievements since taking charge in 2021. He credits Howe with keeping the club in the Premier League, securing high league finishes and ending its long wait for a major trophy with the 2025 Carabao Cup, but fears the club’s recent direction will weaken it.
Shearer highlights the timing of Howe’s exit, three weeks into pre-season, and links it to the sales of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, alongside uncertainty over Bruno Guimaraes. He also points to failed transfer pursuits, including Hugo Ekitike, Johan Manzambi, Victor Munoz and James Trafford, and questions whether expected successor Matthias Jaissle, 38, can adapt from Saudi football to the Premier League.
In short
- Shearer calls Howe a Newcastle legend after the Carabao Cup triumph.
- He fears player sales and failed transfers signal tougher times.
- Howe’s late pre-season exit increases uncertainty around Newcastle.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Howe’s departure so late in pre-season, combined with key player sales, uncertainty over Guimaraes and failed transfer pursuits, could leave Newcastle short of preparation and quality. Jaissle’s move from Saudi football also brings uncertainty about whether he can adapt quickly to the Premier League, making Shearer’s concern about a difficult period reasonable.
The case against
A change of manager can give Newcastle a fresh direction, and Jaissle may bring ideas and methods suited to the next stage of the club’s development. Howe’s achievements deserve credit, but the reported transfer setbacks and player departures do not by themselves establish that the club’s longer-term direction is weakening; careful recruitment and a strong start could steady the transition.
Explained simply
Newcastle United's manager Eddie Howe has left the club after five years in charge. Appointed in 2021, he stabilised the team in the Premier League, oversaw their strongest league finishes in recent years, and helped secure a major trophy in 2025 with the Carabao Cup victory.
The departure occurs as the club undergoes significant squad changes. Newcastle has sold several key players including striker Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon during the off-season, whilst the future of other important players such as Bruno Guimaraes remains undecided. The club has also pursued various transfer targets without success.
The club is expected to appoint Matthias Jaissle, a 38-year-old manager currently based in Saudi Arabia, as Howe's successor. His ability to adapt from managing in Saudi football to competing in the Premier League remains a question for the club and its supporters.