Eddie Howe leaves Newcastle United

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1:05This is the Football Daily Podcast with John Bennett. Hello and welcome to the Football Daily. And just weeks before the new Premier League season gets underway, Newcastle United are looking for a new manager. Eddie Howe is leaving the club with immediate effect after almost five years in charge. It's a departure that will potentially shock a lot of people given everything he's achieved on Tyneside, taking Newcastle from a relegation battle to the Champions League twice, ending the club's 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy with the League Cup success in 2025. But of course, it also comes off the back of a disappointing season.

1:43and Newcastle finishing 12th in the Premier League, growing scrutiny over results and wider changes behind the scenes. So we'll look at why he's leaving, what it means for Newcastle going forward and who's set to replace him. Joining me throughout is a Football Daily regular, Luke Edwards from The Telegraph. Hello, Luke. Did this interrupt a holiday, this news? It certainly did. The second day of my long-awaited summer holiday, completely and utterly ruined, children crying, wife annoyed. but that's that's the nature of the job as um as unfortunately my family all know life as a Newcastle reporter well I hope the children are happier in a few hours when you're back with them on this holiday but let's talk about Eddie Howe leaving it seems to have moved incredibly quickly just just tell us what you know first of all was this his decision or was he pushed no this was definitely his decision um I don't think I'm betraying any trust now that he's gone that I I mean, I think I first got wind of it speaking to him about three weeks ago when the Johan Manzambi deal fell through.

2:49If you remember, he went to Aston Villa. I think that's the first time I'd ever heard Eddie sound as low as he did, exasperated. But more than anything, drained, really, really emotionally drained and physically drained. And I think he had wanted to come back this summer, you know, for the start of preseason, re-energised and refocused and obviously knew there was a big rebuild going on and that some big players would be sold. But I think he quickly realised that he just didn't have anything left in the tank. And I think there's been some frustrations in the transfer market. There's been some negativity in the fan base, I think, for the first time.

3:29and I told him off about this I think he had started to absorb some of that criticism and we all know what social media is like and how poisonous and toxic it can be I think that had begun to sort of filter into his mindset a little bit and I think you know there's a saying isn't I think he's left Newcastle before Newcastle left him I tried my best to talk him out of it I tried to make him see the positives I tried to reassure him that the majority of fans were still backing him but I just think he could see the writing on the wall and why as far as he's concerned why wait around to be sacked when you can leave amicably now and he tried his best to come back for pre-season but there was just nothing there for him I thought, I'm sure as much I know John but I thought I'd persuaded him to stay, I thought I'd talked him out of it but then yeah early this morning I got a message saying he was going.

4:25So a sad day, you know, a monumental one, really, the modern history of Newcastle. But I don't think anyone can blame him. I'm devastated. He's gone on a personal level. He's been the most successful manager in Newcastle's modern history. But I also totally understand the reasons for him stepping down when he does. So you've obviously been in close contact with him. How emotional is he about this then? Yeah, very emotional. You know, I mean, it's been really hard for him to accept really that he had nothing left. But I think we have to understand what he is as a manager and as a person. He has to be fully committed.

5:00He has to be fully energised to do the job properly. And I think we have to go back to how it ended at Bournemouth for him. He'd had similar emotions the summer preceding his final season at Bournemouth. he was talked into staying and that season ended in relegation it was very unfortunate it was the Covid affected season if you remember when the season was suspended and then restarted again behind closed doors but Bournemouth went down I think that has played a big part in how he feels about Newcastle I think he didn't listen to the warning signs at Bournemouth and I think this time he has he has listened to those warning signs and like I say he tried to come back He tried to come back and buy into this idea of a new look, younger team that would grow under him over the next two or three years.

5:49But I just think, you know, the problem with Newcastle, expectation levels have been raised so highly. You know, they're still expected to compete for European football. And if you're just if you've dipped even a little bit, if you've got any doubts, I think mentally, physically, emotionally about it, you just can't do the job. And that is why he's done it. I mean, he told the club a couple of weeks ago, I think he stayed on until they got the replacement. He's tried to do things in the right way. But there was just nothing left. And as sad as that is, given how successful he's been, you do have to understand it as well.

6:20The pressure on modern managers is so great. And I just think he'd had enough. Yeah, various factors then. But does it really come down to the recruitment, the final straw? You mentioned it. Manzambi, that deal falling through. And Bruno Gimaraes potentially leaving the club. Are they the two main final factors, do you think, in all this happening? I think so. There's been a sort of attempt since this news broke from every side, from people within Newcastle and Eddie as well, saying that it wasn't down to the Bruno saga. You know, he has been involved in recruitment this summer. He backed the change in strategy and then the shift to a younger profile of players.

7:02But of course, you know, people don't want to hear it, but Newcastle have missed out on all their top signings this summer again. They wanted James Trafford from Manchester City. He's gone to Leeds. Victor Munoz was their first choice winger to replace Anthony Gordon. He's gone to Liverpool. Manzambi, first choice midfielder, has gone to Aston Villa. And, you know, that makes it incredibly hard when, you know, you've got to sell your best players and your established players. And we have to point out that Newcastle have had to sell this summer because of the financial regulations. They're in trouble with UEFA for breaking squad cost ratio rules.

7:38They've had to reach a financial settlement. They've had to cut the wage bill this summer. But when you've built a really good team at Newcastle, a successful one, you've qualified for the Champions League twice. And you've ended the club's 70-year wait for a domestic trophy by winning the Carabao Cup. And you've put your heart and soul into that job for almost five years. The thought of then having to oversee a rebuild is one thing. But when you haven't got your first choice signings as well, that makes it even harder. And then, of course, the Bruno Gumiere saga. It was Bruno told Eddie that he wanted to go.

8:07He was his first point of contact in terms of informing him he wanted to go. And I think, you know, we're all, everybody remembers the Alexander-Isak saga last summer and how that dragged out. And I think now Bruno's got the perfect excuse with Eddie leaving to really crank up the pressure to leave. And I think it just became too much. The thought of losing Bruno as well this summer, which I don't think is definite. But, you know, if I was a betting man, I'd be putting my cash on Bruno joining Arsenal now. I just think it was too much. You know, he's a captain, talisman leader, catalyst. He's the glue that held everything together.

8:40And when you combine that with Tonali, Isak and Gordon in the space of 12 months, your four best players have left the football club and you're still going to be expected for challenging for Europe moving ahead. That's a very hard box to square. Well, let's get the Newcastle fan perspective now. Samantha Rees joins us. Sam, thanks so much for being with us on the Football Daily. So when you saw this news, what was your first reaction? Well I couldn't believe it I mean you know I agree that you know social media is very very toxic and you've got particular fans that really wanted him out last season I always thought no give him a bit longer you know I mean obviously I've had my moments where you think oh gosh you know what I mean because we didn't have a very good season so but I was very shocked because, but then it's probably the best time to do it.

9:38Do it now. And when I was at Gateshead and then obviously last night in Bristol, he didn't look himself. You know, he didn't just, you know, but I still, when I heard that news this morning, a friend of mine texted me and I was like, oh my God, I just can't believe it. I really thought he might have given it a bit longer. I was at one of the home games towards the end of the last season for Five Live, I'm pretty sure it was the Bournemouth game and you could feel some tension within the fan base and some of the fans turning. What was it like? Give me a percentage. How many were pro Eddie Howe and anti Eddie Howe towards the end of this situation?

10:17Well, I mean, the fans that were at the match, I think a majority was maybe sort of 70 % were behind Eddie. you've still got that 30 % I mean my son was one of them I'm not sure I think he's gone as far as he can I think because he won us the trophy and he got us into Champions League I think I think the majority of us thought well you know he deserves another chance because we had all that saga last year with Isak we've had all of these signings not coming to us. So he's bound to get frustrated. So I don't blame him in a way, but I hope he knows that the majority of the fans wish him well in the future and really thank him.

11:10I feel really sad that it's come to this. We'll get on to his legacy and how Newcastle fans will look back at his time in charge. But stay there, Sam, because I want you to come in on this as well. Luke, how much scrutiny will there be now on the ownership? the people in power at the club because Eddie Howe was being criticised but now surely that will move on to the owners and were there huge tensions between Eddie Howe and the owners did they fall out or is that too simple to say was it more nuanced than that no they didn't fall out at all actually I mean I have to squash that there hasn't been a fallout it has genuinely been amicable I think they understood I think when Ross Wilson the sporting director tried, like I did, tried to persuade Eddie to carry on.

11:59I think he could tell by looking in his eyes that it was pointless. And I think they've been very honest with each other. Eddie has stayed on until they could find a replacement. There hasn't been a falling out at all, really. I think there's been... You ask about the owners now. The problem, and I say this on Football Daily all the time, Eddie was a lightning rod for dissatisfaction. and frustrations really last season because, as Samantha has said, it was a disappointing league season. They finished 12th, which is the same position they finished under with Steve Bruce's manager and Rafa Benitez.

12:35There was, and I agree with Samantha again, probably a third of the fan base had turned against him. And it had become very toxic, particularly online. But, you know, Eddie was, you know, he was the shield really for the owners and the people running the club. What has happened, because of squad cost ratio, because of PSR, because of the financial regulations, Newcastle have got themselves into trouble. They've had to sell players and they've had to trim the wage bill. I think that has been done sensibly. I think the changing approach has been sensible. But no one really has been honest about that.

13:08The club almost this summer has had to take a step backwards to hopefully take two steps forwards again in the next two or three years. no one's really been honest with that and it was all been left to Eddie Howe to kind of explain he was you know he's not really done very much media but he's due to he was due to speak in La Manga next week I'm going over to Spain for a pre-season training camp he was due to speak then and then it would all been left on him to explain why are we cutting costs why are we selling our star players why do we need to reduce the wage bill but those things will be needed to be done but I think the problem with Newcastle and all football clubs is that now the manager has gone, I think the focus will come into the whole of the Saudi Arabian project.

13:46You know, there's a stated aim from David Hoppison, the CEO, that they want to be in the conversation for one of the elite clubs in the world by 2030. They want to be in a position where they can challenge regularly for the Champions League and for silverware by 2030. That's four years away. And the manager who's brought them success, who really has powered the success since the Saudi Arabian takeover, has gone. I think if the new manager doesn't work out and if the team continues to go backwards, then people will start to call into question all those promises and those pledges that were made.

14:17And it will be, you know, the people at the very top of the club who start to feel the heat. That is just football. That's not to say that the new manager might not be a huge success. He might build on what Eddie's done and he might, you know, he might achieve far more than he did. But I think, you know, it's a younger team now. It's a team full of potential. it's a team of players who are not going to be at their best for at least six months a year two years so it's going to be a difficult season and I think you know the whole project for me now is at a crossroads yeah I agree actually I was thinking you know you can see people online again having a go at the owners blaming the owners and everything but I mean where's this come from we don't know what's going on behind closed doors as fans you know we can only see what's in front of us and in front of us is Eddie Howe you know and I feel sorry for him you know he's had no probably had no control over things that's happening um I know this young you know this manager that's uh potentially coming in you know he likes you know he can develop young players but that's not going to happen straight away it's just yeah I I really feel sorry for Eddie Howe and I I hope he knows that the whole, not the whole fan base, but probably the majority of the fan base, you know, wish him well.

15:34I know I said that before, but, you know, he will go down as one of our best managers, you know, in modern times. He's won us a trophy. You know, we've waited all that time for it. That was probably one of the best days of my life that he'd give me, you know. Matthias Jasler will be the next man in charge. We'll discuss him in a moment. Samantha, thank you so much for coming on and talking about Eddie Howe's departure. Before we look forward, Luke, I want to get your take on the legacy question, because Samantha said they're very emotional about the great day, the League Cup victory, and how Eddie Howe will go down as one of the greatest managers in the club's history.

16:15And Alan Shearer, one of the greatest legends in the club's history, has been on Instagram saying, thanks, Eddie, you gave us this day a picture of Eddie Howe with the trophy. Talk to me about his legacy. And does he know, you've been in close contact with him, does he know that he is genuinely loved and will be loved for a long time by the Newcastle fans? Yeah, I think it's all a bit too immediate at the moment for him to really fully appreciate that. I think history will judge Eddie Howe very, very kindly. He is the man who did something that Kevin Keegan and Sir Bobby Robson couldn't do. the other two great loved managers of the of the modern era as it were he won that trophy he ended a 70 year trophy drought and you know anyone who lived in the city and who was at that victory parade um back in the spring of 2025 when the bus came through and thousands and thousands hundreds of thousands of people came out to to you know celebrate with the team it was it was a decade in the waiting and it turned out to be the high water mark but that was a truly special moment in the history of Newcastle United and yeah, his legacy is assured and I'm sure when he does come back and he's not going to leave football, I'm sure he will return one day, I think you'll see a lot of love and affection and an outpouring of a positive emotion towards him when he doesn't.

17:45Pop quiz. What's in your kid's lunchbox? At Whole Foods Market, they've already done the studying. Over 300 food ingredients are banned from their shelves. No hydronated fats in the peanut butter and no high fructose corn syrup in the cookies. And for sandwiches, there are no synthetic nitrates or nitrites in any of their deli meat. So you can pack lunchboxes with peace of mind. Get back to school ready at Whole Foods Market. Hey, it's Sisney for Jewel Osco. It's back to deals time now through August 25th. Enjoy hundreds of weekly store-wide deals and earn four times the points. Look for in-store tags to earn on eligible items from Charmin, All, Planters, Triscuit, Hidden Valley, and Progresso.

18:27Then clip the offer one time in the app and save all event long. Stack up those points to save even more. Enjoy exclusive deals when you shop in-store or online for easy drive up and go, pickup, or delivery. Subject to availability, restrictions apply. See website for full terms and conditions.

19:075 Live Sports So a very tough act to follow. Matthias Jasler, the man tipped to replace Eddie Howe, might not be too well known given that his only head coaching roles to date have been in Austria and Saudi Arabia. So who is this man set to move into the dugout at St. James' Park? Let's bring in German football journalist Konstantin Eckner. Key question, first of all, Konstantin, how are we pronouncing his name? So it's Matthias Jasler. Jasler. I knew that. I knew that. I knew that all along. So I was going Jasler, we'll go Jasler. Luke's pretending you're you, but yeah, we'll go Jasler from now on.

19:49So Konstantin, a lot of Newcastle fans will be asking the same question. Who is Matthias Jasler and do you think he's the right man to come into such a big job? Clear yes and no answer from my side. I think actually he might be the right man for the job. I mean, of course, there are a couple of uncertainties regarding Newcastle's transfer summer. So we don't know how the team will look once the Premier League season starts or once deadline day has passed. But in general, I rate Matthias Gaisler very highly. Of course, a bit of an odd career path. So he won the Austrian Championship twice with Red Bull Salzburg.

20:30And then in 2023, we remember that the Saudi Pro League took shape. So it already existed, but it took shape in the sense that all these older players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Jordan Henderson went there. And then he also joined Ali in 2023. And a lot of people in Germany and Austria were surprised by that and, of course, accused him of just making a money grab. but he actually has done fairly well in Saudi Arabia too because he had to manage all these older players who probably were there to get a lot of money might not be that interested actually playing good football but he did also well he won the AFC Champions League Elite so the best competition in Asia twice in a row now What about his style?

21:21Obviously he comes from the Red Bull school doesn't he? So is it too easy to say it's the high pressing It's the intensity. It's the possession-based football that we've come to know from Red Bull. And do you think that will translate into the Premier League? So that's also something that separates him from some of the other Red Bull-style coaches. He changed his style once he went from Salzburg to Ali, played a different brand of football, basically. Still very intensity-based. I think one of the main ingredients when it comes to Jaesel's football is intensity. And I think that's also a big advantage.

21:54I will come back to the point in a second. But first of all, he showed a lot of flexibility. Going from Austria, where he just managed the best team in the league, with the best players, Salzburg, and then going to Al-Ali, who haven't been the best team in the Saudi Pro League. They just got promoted at that point when Jaisler joined them. Of course, he managed to win the AFC Champions League twice, beating a Japanese side in the finals in both. but it was a bit of a different style of football he let play with Ali. Coming back to the point of intensity, I think Gaisler, just like Fabian Hürzler when he joined Brighton, is one of these young coaches who is very good in coaching intensity to all kinds of players.

22:41He's very good to actually communicating what he wants to do and especially coaching intensity. And one big advantage I have been told by people who know Gaisler quite well, also similarity to Hürzler, in my opinion, is that Gaisle communicates very precisely, very efficiently. When he's asked about something, he gives you a clear-cut answer. He's not someone who's rambling around like we sometimes do, right? But he's giving clear answers. His English has improved greatly. So there are some similarities to Fabian Hürzler, who does it the same way. And there's also some, when we look at another German-speaking coach, there are some differences compared to Oliver Klassner, who, when it comes to communication, might not be the clearest communicator.

23:27Yeah, personality is a big thing, isn't it, Luke, to manage Newcastle United? You've got to be a special person, haven't you, to get those fans behind you, to connect to those fans? Would that be fair to say? Well, you better warn him, he's also got to deal with me.

23:42That would have been in the discussions, I'm sure, with the owners. I could be an acquired taste, apparently. So, no, that sounds absolutely fascinating. And I really liked the description of him and the insight into him there. I think, you know, the talk about playing with an intense style, that will certainly appeal to Newcastle supporters. You know, they needed, I mean, I think they needed someone to inject fresh energy into it. And it sounds like he's a young manager. This is a completely different sort of test for him. We all know what the Premier League scrutiny is like. He is stepping into a job where somebody, a manager, a hugely popular manager, forgetting the toxicity towards the end, hugely popular and successful manager, has overachieved at Newcastle for four or five years.

24:27So it's a huge job he's taking on. But I think a lot of what I've just heard there, you know, fills me with optimism. It really does, because I think he will need that intensity and that all action style of football and being able to communicate his ideas clearly. but yeah the media side of it it will be different I mean the scrutiny is going to be different to Salzburg I know they're the biggest club in Austria but you know the media interest in Premier League football clubs from not just a national audience but an international audience is huge and he will be under pressure as soon as he gets here so that will be the big challenge for me can he cope with that level of scrutiny can he cope with a crowd like Newcastle's if things go badly He will need to get off to a good start.

25:12Of course, all managers do. But I'm energised by what I've just heard. I have to say, as sad as I am to see Eddie go, I think, you know, you have to give the new manager a chance. I have never, ever judged a manager before they've taken charge of a game in my entire career. I'm not about to start. But, yeah, I do feel positive listening to that. And I think he'll need all of those qualities in Newcastle. But, yeah, the media side of things, the pressure, the expectation, that's going to be on a far bigger scale than anything he's experienced in his career before. Some managers thrive under that.

25:42People said Jurgen Klopp might struggle at Liverpool and look at the job he did. So it all depends on the individual and their character. But that all sounded and bodes well. That's the unknown though, isn't it, Konstantin? Because both Luke and Samantha have said this could be a tough season and certainly the start is going to be tough. Matthias Yesler, it's all been great for him so far. He's had success wherever he's been. If it doesn't go right, the pressure will be on straight away. Do you think he can cope with that? I guess we have to see how he actually deals with that. But I believe just how smart he is, that he probably can put a lot of things into perspective, also for himself, if there is some pressure, if there is maybe also some criticism towards him.

26:27I mean, he dealt actually quite well when he was criticised widely by German media, German colleagues, when he made the move from Salzburg to Ali. You shouldn't forget. When he made the move in 2023, he had just won back-to-back championships in Austria and he was lined up to be the next Leipzig coach or maybe a Hofmein coach or maybe even Dortmund coach. I mean, he was linked to Dortmund, right? And he made the move to go to Saudi Arabia. So he got a lot of blowback in Germany, in his home country. I mean, he moved to Saudi Arabia, but still, I mean, he of course still lives a life in Germany, in a sense, even then.

27:06And he dealt very well with that. He actually said, I understand. I understand that I get a lot of criticism and that people think I'm just a money grabber now. And he didn't really get rattled by any of the criticism in Germany. We will have to see how he deals with that. I just believe that he's very smart, that he keeps his cool usually, and he's very analytical, and to the point that actually in January of 2025, Al-Ali were rumored to be interested in Max Allegri. They possibly wanted to sign Marcel Mejano Allegri as their new manager. And the fans at Al-Ali, who actually got very excited during that Yaisle tenure, protested against potential Allegri signing because they just wanted to keep Yaisle, who was unknown.

27:55I mean, he was essentially a nobody as a player. He was very young when he got promoted to Bundesliga. He had to retire at the age of 25 due to an Achilles tendon tear. So he was basically still an unknown, the youngest coach to ever win the AFC Champions League in Asia. So still, fans wanted to keep him and not get Allegri, who is a much, much more well-known name. And that tells you also something. Of course I get it. Ali is one thing. Being in Jeddah, coaching a team there is one thing. Winning the AFC Champions League is one thing. Going to the Premier League is another thing. but I also believe that Newcastle fans might have some things put into perspective.