Darren Bent has revealed what he believes is the one thing Eddie Howe could do to get fired by Newcastle United this season.
Howe has come under growing criticism from the media for failing following last year’s Champions League victory, but the owners’ message is that they totally support him.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Bent said that the only way Howe could be fired was to lose the FA Cup in the quarterfinals and ‘fall off a cliff’ in the Premier League, finishing in the bottom half.
Bent thinks Howe’s job at Newcastle is safe
Howe has a lot of credit in the bank from last season, when Newcastle finished in the top four and made their first trip to Wembley in over two decades for the Carabao Cup.
The owners also recognize that this season has been challenging due to injuries and a bit of a learning curve, as Howe and the majority of his players had never played in Europe before.
It takes some getting used to, especially when you have a never-ending list of injuries, but the worst is behind them, and they now have a chance to have a strong finish to the season.
Bent feels that, despite the club’s early withdrawal from Europe and dismal domestic form, the fans are still completely behind Howe, and that he will only be in serious jeopardy if things go horribly wrong in the following 12 league games.
On the show, Bent stated, “I believe the fans fully support him. I believe they recognize what he has done and that he is ahead of schedule compared to where they expected him to be.
“He won the Champions League last season, but the expectation develops. Maybe the supporters think it’s good that we’re building, but the owners want more of the Champions League now that they’ve tasted it.
“If they don’t win the FA Cup, which I doubt they will, and finish 10th, I believe the owners will consider whether we are moving forward.
“I still think their squad is progressing; they need to balance the books, but I believe the owners will look at it and decide whether to make a change.
“I believe he is safe unless they fall off a cliff and finish the bottom half of the table. Regardless, the fans are behind him.
Howe has a very big summer ahead of him
Following last season’s disappointment, in which Newcastle signed four players but none of them had a significant impact on the campaign, Howe must get this upcoming transfer window right.
By then, they should have engaged a new director to assist with the discussions, but Howe is still expected to have a significant say in who joins the club for next season.
Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento appear to be outstanding potential for the future, but neither is being used by Howe, and he needs to ensure he is bringing in players for the present this summer.
The aim is that they will have substantially more to spend than they had in January, but they may have to sell one or two to truly improve the squad in the long run.
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