Newcastle continue to back Eddie Howe despite growing unrest among club fans
· Yahoo Sports
Newcastle United have no plans to part ways with manager Eddie Howe despite disappointing results.
In fact, The Times reports that the club want the English manager to oversee a crucial squad rebuild this summer despite growing unrest among the fans.
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Howe has been under intense scrutiny since the disappointing capitulation against Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League last 16 tie at Spotify Camp Nou.
The Magpies came agonisingly close to beating the Spanish champions at St. James Park, but a last-minute Lamine Yamal penalty cancelled out Harvey Barnes’ late strike.
That 1-1 draw followed by a narrow 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the Premier League lifted the mood across the club. But Newcastle’s respite didn’t last long.
Howe’s troops suffered a 7-2 humiliation in the second leg against Barca, and a subsequent 2-1 defeat against Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby appeared to be the final straw for the fans.
Many expected Howe to be past the point of no return after losing twice to Sunderland in the same campaign, but the club hierarchy have refused to take action.
Instead, Howe is reportedly still considered a crucial part of the club’s long-term ambitions.
The mood around the club turned sour after the disappointing defeat to Sunderland last weekend, as boos rang out across St. James’ Park at full-time.
That result left Newcastle sitting 12th in the Premier League table, with their hopes of returning to Europe hanging in the balance.
Securing a spot in Europe is still a crucial target for Newcastle this season, and there’s still much to play for in the final seven Premier League games.
Newcastle are four points away from seventh place, which should at least get them into the Europa Conference League.
They’re also seven points off fifth-placed Chelsea, who have dropped off in recent weeks.
Looking to bring calm to the chaos, Newcastle chief executive David Hopkinson sent a heartfelt message to the club staff shortly after the Sunderland defeat.
“It hurts us because we care,” he said. “It’s adversity, and adversity does not define us — it reveals us.
“There’s a great quote from Vince Lombardi [the legendary former American football coach]; it’s not whether or not you get knocked down, it’s how you get up.
“So we will have a tough day, and then we’ll get up. We’re building something very real here. That journey is not a straight line.
“Yesterday feels heavy, and it is, but that’s OK — we won’t carry it for very long. Our enthusiasm and our conviction will remain undiminished.”