EDDIE’S IN QUICK SAND
Saudis did not take over Newcastle for a mid-table finish... Howe must realise he is in fight for his future
‘The Saudis did not buy into Newcastle – and invest over £400million in players – for these sort of runs’
CLASS act that he is, Eddie Howe answered every question, politely and thoughtfully.
In the dying stages of the defeat to Manchester City, his team had just been denied a point against the greatest club side of the modern era.
Not only that, they were leading with less than 20 minutes left to play.
But while Howe was his customary polite and thoughtful self, he was also delusional.
He believed Newcastle United’s performance was worthy of a point.
In the sense that his men stuck to their task while being largely pummelled, Howe was probably right.
But the truth is that Howe’s side were in the game for a 15-minute spell before half-time when City – and Kyle Walker in particular – decided to have a nap.
They were in the game because Pep Guardiola decided to play, pretty much, one at the back.
Had City not won, they would have been kicking themselves all the way back to Manchester.
That City did find a way to win is no real slight against Howe and his side – better teams will be unable to stop Kevin De Bruyne and the champions.
But the bottom line is that Newcastle have now lost four Premier League games on the spin and six of their last seven.
In that spell, they conceded four goals to Spurs and Liverpool and three to City, Nottingham Forest and Everton. They are a team in free fall (Toon misery as De Bruyne celebrates his goal, below).
Of course, there are mitigating circumstances, not least a long injury list. But the Saudis did not buy into Newcastle – and invest over £400million in players – for these sort of runs.
Remember when, following the takeover, Amanda Staveley said winning the Premier League was the ambition, not just becoming a top-four club?
She reminded everyone it would take time and patience and is being proven correct.
Qualification from a hellishly difficult Champions League group was always going to be tough but their collapse in the final game against AC Milan was ominous.
And even though they have 17 league games remaining, a place in next season’s Champions League already seems extremely unlikely.
No one knows how the Saudis will react to this adversity, whether they have the patience called for by Staveley. They should keep faith in Howe, a fine manager with a lot of credit in the St James’ Park bank, and somewhat hamstrung by that injury list.
But my guess is patience will not be a given.
And if Howe does not feel he is under pressure, he is, indeed, delusional.