Ruud Gullit Advocates for Eddie Howe’s Continuity at Newcastle United
This season has proven challenging for Newcastle United as Eddie Howe navigates his fifth year in charge. The team faced a disappointing exit from the Champions League, suffering an aggregate defeat of 8-3 to Barcelona/”>Barcelona in the knockout stages.
Domestically, the club’s Premier League performance has left much to be desired, raising concerns that they may finish below rivals Sunderland. The Geordies have encountered a tumultuous season.
Poor summer transfer window spelt trouble
The challenges for Newcastle appear to stem from a difficult summer. The club found itself tangled in a Liverpool-transfer-news-alexander-isak-yoane-wissa-newcastle/”>transfer saga involving top striker Alexander Isak. Many believe the team should have sold him early in the transfer window, as keeping him ultimately destabilized the club.
Signings such as Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa came at high costs to fill the void left by Isak, who eventually transferred to Liverpool. Unfortunately, neither player has made a significant impact, resulting in missed opportunities for the club. With Newcastle’s PSR issues, the pressure to avoid costly transfer blunders was even higher this past window.
Eddie has been hamstrung with PSR problems and deserves another season, says Gullit
Ruud Gullit, who endured a challenging period managing Newcastle where he famously had a rift with club legend Alan Shearer, knows the mounting pressures that come with the territory. He voiced his support for Eddie Howe, expressing confidence in his capabilities despite the team’s struggles this season.
In an interview with MrRaffle.com, Gullit stated, “Look, I think he’s done well. I think he also expected certain players to come in — they didn’t, because of PSR. Going up the mountain is easy. Staying on the mountain is the most difficult part. The expectations are bigger. And in order to stay competitive, you need to bring in players who push the existing ones to give 100%. That didn’t happen.”
Gullit also hinted at the possibility of losing another top talent this summer, as Bayern Munich is reportedly close to acquiring Anthony Gordon.
“Now there’s a danger they lose Anthony Gordon in the summer because of it. You can’t blame Howe for that, though. I think he’s a great coach. He’s done very good things at that club,” Gullit added.
Whether Eddie Howe will retain his position for another season remains uncertain.