Why Eddie Howe must stay at Newcastle – and Alexander Isak is to blame for his problems | OneFootball

Newcastle United’s defence of the Carabao Cup lasted longer than Crystal Palace’s of the FA Cup. They ended about 20 miles away, but in different worlds: one at Manchester City, the other at Macclesfield. One cup defeat was predictable, the other was among the greatest shocks ever in the competition. Yet if both domestic cups will have different winners this year, the previous pair were different winners.

The historic nature of Newcastle’s triumph – a first piece of major silverware since 1969, a first in domestic football since 1955 – prompted the question if it was a stepping stone. The new chief executive David Hopkinson spoke of an ambition to be the top club in the world by 2030.

Newcastle began February 2026 fighting on four fronts. They are out of the Carabao Cup. With an FA Cup tie away at Aston Villa, there is the danger they will be knocked out of that 10 days later. A Champions League trip to Qarabag gives them a gruelling journey, if a chance of progressing. The two legs against the club from Azerbaijan sandwich their next visit to the Etihad Stadium, where the aggregate score in their last 12 games is 40-2. For a side already in the wrong half of the table, faint hopes of a swift return to the Champions League could be extinguished.

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Alexander Isak’s departure had a snowball effect that has left Eddie Howe under pressure (Getty)

All of which could condemn a season to failure. The temptation would be to wonder if the Eddie Howe project has run its course; perhaps he has run out of road as Newcastle struggle on their travels.

There is a theory Howe is given an easy ride, though the audible backing of fans at the Etihad on Wednesday indicated he can still command a constituency of support. Howe’s achievements, whether twice qualifying for the Champions League or doing something Sir Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan could not by requiring Newcastle to finally open their trophy cabinet, guarantee him a significance and should afford more leeway.

There was, too, the public backing of his employers, a few hours before kick-off. “Eddie's our manager and he's an extraordinary manager,” said Hopkinson. “We just talked about how much he's envied by other clubs and the national programme.”

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Howe is starting to come under pressure at Newcastle (Mike Egerton/PA)

It is an over-simplification, but if Newcastle’s problems can be traced to one man, it should be Alexander Isak, not Howe. And if the striker could be a convenient scapegoat, Newcastle are in an ongoing 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 attempt at defiance earned them another £15m, but backfired otherwise. With hindsight, they should have sold when, or soon after, Liverpool bid £110m, not on deadline day.

It may have been an indication of Newcastle’s place in the pecking order that a succession of other forwards turned them down when at least some – Liam Delap and perhaps Benjamin Sesko – might have been better off going to St James’ Park. Instead, the Isak fee was swallowed up in the panic-infused prices for Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa; it may not be easy to sell either for more than half of his purchase price now.

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Isak’s botched Newcastle exit has left lasting damage (John Walton/PA Wire)

With an expensive pair of strikers, Howe feels recent results reflect missed chances. Isak, of course, could be clinical. Newcastle only have three away wins in all competitions this season. Last year, he got 12 goals in away matches, plus a famous one at a neutral venue, in Wembley. His pace made Newcastle deadly on the break; Woltemade lacks it, and Newcastle look increasingly confused about how to play with the idiosyncratic German.

Howe can appear confounded by a conundrum. Newcastle are not alone in experiencing complications caused in part by summer spending. It is notable, however, that they operated without a sporting director then. They spent £256m and, so far, they only have one successful signing, in Malick Thiaw. Wissa, Woltemade, Aaron Ramsdale, Jacob Ramsey and Anthony Elanga are not all failures yet but it is a debateable point if any belongs in the strongest side.

Howe’s previously excellent strike rate in the transfer record, however, should offer optimism. It is significant, too, that some, such as Lewis Hall, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali, were not immediate hits; yet each became integral.

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Sandro Tonali took a while to settle at Newcastle (AFP via Getty)

That Italian agents seem to have begun an Isak-esque process to extricate Tonali from Tyneside may depress Newcastle, and indicate they are still not the biggest draw, but also shows some of the issues would remain, whoever was manager.

A reason why Howe has had longevity at first, Bournemouth, and then Newcastle, is that he is in the select breed of managers who can be trusted to help run a club responsibly and who can plot a path out of difficult times.

Now with Newcastle overstretched by injuries, with Gordon hurting his hamstring on Wednesday, with others overworked, with the fixtures piling up and four of Newcastle’s next five games away, there is the risk it gets worse before it gets better. But the lesson of Howe’s career, and his time on Tyneside, is that it probably will get better.