I hope whoever follows Eddie Howe has massive shoulders… | OneFootball

It has been a while since I last contributed to The Mag, at which time I was pondering on how the Toon would get on this season, as the 2024/2025 campaign kicked off.

It has been up and down, feelings of euphoria and feeling disappointed. With good, bad and indifferent performances, up to and including Manchester City last weekend.

The discussions and scenarios of what could have been, might have been, should have been, but didn’t happen, conjure up some interesting debates.

Meanwhile, the actual Newcastle United stats reveal some surprising details!

Season 2023/24 after 25 Premier League matches:

League Position: 8th. Played 25, Won 11, Drawn 4, Lost 10, GF 53, GA 41, GD +12. Points. 37.

Season 2024/25 after 25 Premier League matches:

League Position: 7th. Played 25, Won 12, Drawn 5, Lost 8, GF 42, GA 33, GD +9. Points. 41.

With 13 league games left and 39 points available, of which 20 would surpass the 2023/2024 season end of 60 points. An average of 1.53 points per game,

Although a few more points than that will no doubt be needed to secure a Champions League spot for the 2025/2026 season.

Not that bad, eh?

Even if Eddie Howe and his staff got pelted, which will happen eventually, his tenure can only be seen as a remarkable achievement, end of.

From near relegation avoided, Champions League status after a 20 year wait, FA Cup and League Cup progress to semi-final/final and currently still in a good league position.

From the doom and gloom to the new era boom, still leaves me shaking my head in disbelief, whilst pinching myself and hoping it isn’t all just a dream.

Eventually Eddie will move on at some point…that’s the nature of the game.

Whoever is next to grace the manager/coach seat, I hope he has massive shoulders to cope, with not just the players and staff, but the hungry for success animal that is the Toon Army.

I don’t envy them one bit! Imagine having to follow Eddie Howe.

Just look at the plight of Man-ure.

Multiple managers, staff, players in and out of Cold Trafford, not to mention the many millions chucked around recklessly to pay off managers and staff.

Ten Hag and his contract extension resulted in getting pelted after nine games to the tune of £10.4m. Dan Cashworth £? to pay NUFC and release him from contract/gardening leave then in a matter of months being in the job, received severance in excess of £4.1m.

They and Spurs I would say, are at least three or four seasons away from regularly challenging again for top spots and Champions League.

None of the managers since Ferguson have been able to manage the players (majority of them being poor to say the least). Silk purse and sow’s ear, comes to mind.

Some good managers too. In fact, I don’t think any of them were bad and it only served to probably dented all of their CV references after making the fatal choice of taking on the poisoned chalice.

Poor Amiron I feel won’t be there next season with the revolving manager’s door still revolving…

Remember when Manchester United had an interim manager in Ralf Rangnick, who on leaving, concluded that the club required “open heart surgery” and that their troubles could not be solved through “minor changes.”

He wasn’t wrong, was he!

With a new Newcastle United stadium and the shackles of the Premier League sponsor restriction, or whatever you want to call it, being relaxed, it will then generate much more revenue to progress and be top six on a regular basis.