Eddie Howe ‘to resign’ call after 7-2 Barcelona loss before Sunderland derby | OneFootball

Eddie Howe has been urged to consider resigning after Newcastle United’s 7-2 defeat at Barcelona, which sealed an 8-3 aggregate exit. It was the club’s heaviest loss in a European knockout tie, and it comes days before the Tyne-Wear derby.

Newcastle were competitive before the interval, then unravelled after the break amid a string of defensive mistakes. According to talkSPORT, presenter Adrian Durham said the manager should at least offer his resignation after such a capitulation, though whether it was accepted would be up to the board.

Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton took a more measured view, saying Barcelona were made to look comfortable. He argued it was not the moment to demand a resignation with the derby looming, as the weekend could change the mood.

“A tough way to go out,” Howe told TNT Sports. “First half, I thought we were excellent, but a lot of individual errors cost us and in the second half we were nowhere near as good. They deserved to go through.”

He added: “Now it is all about Sunderland. It is about learning from today and making sure we are mentally and physically ready for what is a huge game for us and for the city.” Newcastle will seek a response after losing 1-0 in December’s reverse fixture.

Source: Sunderland Echo