The historic nature of Newcastle’s win – the first major win since 1969, the first in domestic football since 1955 – raised the question of whether it was a stepping stone. New chief executive David Hopkinson spoke of the ambition to be the best club in the world by 2030.
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Newcastle began February 2026 fighting on four fronts. They are out of the Carabao Cup. With an FA Cup tie at Aston Villa, there is a danger they could be eliminated 10 days later. A Champions League trip to Qarabag is a grueling journey for them, if they have any chance of progressing at all. The two games against the Azerbaijan club intersperse their next visit to the Etihad Stadium, where the aggregate score in their last 12 games is 40-2. For a team already in the wrong half of the table, faint hopes of a quick return to the Champions League could be extinguished.
All of which could doom a season to failure. The temptation would be to wonder if the Eddie Howe project has run its course; may have been left without a path as Newcastle struggle on their travels.
There is a theory that Howe is being given an easy ride, although the audible backing from fans at the Etihad on Wednesday indicated he may still have a supportive constituency. Howe’s achievements, whether qualifying for the Champions League twice or doing something Sir Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan couldn’t in forcing Newcastle to finally open their trophy cabinet, guarantee him importance and should allow him more room to manoeuvre.
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He also had the public support of his employers, a few hours before the start. “Eddie is our manager and he’s an extraordinary manager,” Hopkinson said. “We just talked about how much other clubs and the national program envy him.”
Howe is starting to come under pressure at Newcastle (Mike Egerton/PA)
It’s an oversimplification, but if Newcastle’s problems can be blamed on one man, it should be Alexander Isak, not Howe. And if the striker could be a convenient scapegoat, Newcastle are in a constant struggle to recover from his departure, the timing of it and the botched succession.
They made a false start to the season when he was on strike and have been playing catch-up ever since. Newcastle’s attempted challenge earned them another £15m but otherwise backfired. In hindsight, they should have sold when, or shortly after, Liverpool bid £110m, not on the deadline.
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It may have been an indication of Newcastle’s place in the pecking order that a succession of other forwards rejected them when at least some (Liam Delap and perhaps Benjamin Sesko) would have been better off going to St James’ Park. Instead, Isak’s fee was swallowed up by panic-infused prices for Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa; It may not be easy to sell it for more than half its purchase price now either.
Isak’s failed departure from Newcastle has left lasting damage (John Walton/PA Wire)
With a pair of expensive forwards, Howe feels recent results reflect missed opportunities. Isak, of course, could be clinical. Newcastle only have three away wins in all competitions this season. Last year he scored 12 goals in away games, plus a famous one on a neutral field, at Wembley. Their pace made Newcastle lethal on the counter-attack; Woltemade lacks this, and Newcastle look increasingly confused about how to play the idiosyncratic German.
Howe may seem confused by an enigma. Newcastle are not alone in experiencing complications caused in part by summer spending. It is noteworthy, however, that they were then operating without a sports director. They spent £256 million and so far only have one successful signing: Malick Thiaw. Wissa, Woltemade, Aaron Ramsdale, Jacob Ramsey and Anthony Elanga are not all busts yet, but it is a moot point whether any belong to the stronger side.
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However, Howe’s excellent strike rate on transfer history should offer optimism. It is also significant that some, such as Lewis Hall, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, were not immediate successes; however, each became integral.
Sandro Tonali took a while to settle in Newcastle (AFP via Getty)
The fact that Italian agents appear to have begun an Isak-style process to get Tonali off Tyneside may depress Newcastle and indicate that they are not yet the biggest draw, but it also shows that some of the problems will persist, whoever the manager is.
One of the reasons Howe has had longevity at first, Bournemouth and then Newcastle, is that he is one of the select class of managers who can be trusted to help run a club responsibly and who can chart a path out of difficult times.
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Now, with Newcastle overstretched with injuries, with Gordon hurting his hamstring on Wednesday, with others overworked, with games piling up and four of Newcastle’s next five games away, there is a risk it will get worse before it gets better. But the lesson of Howe’s career and his time on Tyneside is that he will probably get better.