Howe leaves Newcastle – Saudi-based Jaissle favourite to take over

Eddie Howe’s five-year tenure at Newcastle United has ended abruptly, just as the club faces a pivotal summer under fresh uncertainty. The 48-year-old’s departure, confirmed hours after a humiliating 4-1 pre-season defeat to Bristol City, marks the close of a contradictory chapter: one that delivered the club’s first domestic trophy in 70 years, yet concluded with a 12th-place finish and no European football. Newcastle’s hierarchy have yet to issue an official statement, but reports suggest Howe’s exit was amicable, driven by his own desire for a break after nearly half a decade at St James’ Park.

Howe’s legacy and the sharp decline that preceded it

Howe’s arrival in November 2021 rescued Newcastle from relegation danger, but his most enduring achievements came swiftly. In 2022-23, he guided the club to a fourth-place finish—their best Premier League position in 20 years—and secured Champions League football for the first time since 2003. The crowning moment arrived in February 2025, when goals from Dan Burn and Alexander Isak delivered the Carabao Cup at Wembley, ending Newcastle’s trophy drought since the 1955 FA Cup. Yet the cracks widened last season. After Isak’s British-record £125m sale to Liverpool, Howe’s side won just six of their final 16 Premier League games, including an 8-3 aggregate Champions League exit to Barcelona. The summer exodus of Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon, coupled with Bruno Guimaraes’ unsettled status—reportedly resisting a move to Arsenal—has left Newcastle’s squad in flux before a daunting August 23 opener against Liverpool.

The final act played out in farcical fashion. Hours before Howe’s exit was confirmed, Newcastle were dismantled by Championship opposition. Bristol City scored four times in a disjointed display, with Howe insisting in his post-match interview that his players had “control of the ball” and “should have scored more.” Fans watching the game and the subsequent interview described his assessment as “detached from reality,” a sentiment echoed in the immediate aftermath of his departure. His parting words—”I absolutely love the football club and that will never change”—offered little comfort to a fanbase now bracing for another managerial overhaul.

The Saudi link and Newcastle’s next move

Newcastle’s search for Howe’s successor has already taken a geopolitical turn. Matthias Jaissle, the 38-year-old German coach at Al-Ahli—one of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund-owned clubs—is the clear favourite, with talks reportedly at an advanced stage. Jaissle’s credentials include two Asian Champions League titles, but his Premier League experience is non-existent. He joins Kieran McKenna and Antonio Conte on Newcastle’s shortlist, though the latter’s divisive reputation and the former’s ongoing legal disputes with Manchester United may complicate their paths.

The timing could scarcely be worse. Newcastle’s summer recruitment has been erratic: 20-year-old winger Bazoumana Touré arrived for £42m, 18-year-old midfielder Sean Steur for £23m, and goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen for £18.5m, but the club missed out on Johan Manzambi, who opted for Aston Villa. With Guimaraes’ future unresolved and a threadbare squad, the new manager will inherit a club still adjusting to life under Saudi ownership. The PIF’s involvement adds another layer of intrigue, given Al-Ahli’s direct link to Newcastle’s hierarchy.

Howe’s exit leaves a void that extends beyond tactics. His relationship with the fans revitalised St James’ Park, and his departure risks unsettling a dressing room already coping with the fallout of major sales. The Carabao Cup triumph will long be remembered, but the manner of his exit—amid a pre-season thrashing and a squad in transition—has left Newcastle staring into an uncertain August.

The tactical void and the road ahead

Howe’s Newcastle were built on pragmatism and pressing, but last season’s decline exposed vulnerabilities. Without Isak’s goals or Tonali’s midfield control, the team struggled to break down low blocks, and their defensive transitions became a liability. The arrival of young, unproven talent suggests a long-term rebuild, yet the new manager will need to steady the ship before the Premier League campaign begins. Whether Jaissle, McKenna, or Conte can impose their philosophy in under a month remains an open question.

For now, Newcastle’s focus must shift to the transfer window. The club’s inability to replace key departures with ready-made Premier League talent risks repeating the mistakes of last season. With Guimaraes’ future hanging by a thread and European football out of reach, the next manager’s first priority is stability—not silverware.

Eddie Howe leaves Newcastle with a trophy and a Champions League pedigree, but the circumstances of his exit have overshadowed his achievements. The club now faces a summer of upheaval, with a Saudi-linked coach poised to take charge. The question is whether Newcastle’s owners, and their new manager, can deliver the consistency Howe’s final season lacked.