Eddie Howe's Departure: Alan Shearer's Take on Newcastle's Uncertainty
Alan Shearer has been left shaking his head at the “strange timing” of Eddie Howe’s shock departure from Newcastle United, calling the situation “not a good look” for a club suddenly lurching into choppy waters.
Howe is understood to have walked away after five years in charge, his exit landing just hours after a 4-1 pre-season defeat to Bristol City. Newcastle have yet to make any official comment, with the parting of ways described as amicable, but the silence only adds to the sense of unease on Tyneside.
Shearer: “Strange timing… not a good look”
Speaking to Betfair, club legend Shearer did not hide his surprise.
"I'm very, very surprised with the news that Eddie Howe is leaving Newcastle," he said. "I guess it's strange timing with three weeks to go until the new season kicks off.
"I don't know what's gone on, whether it was the end of last season, whether it was the summer, whether he feels they can't continue to sell his best players. I'm led to believe it was Eddie's decision to leave."
That decision drops Newcastle into the heart of a summer storm. Key figures have already gone. Anthony Gordon has been sold. Sandro Tonali has departed. Captain Bruno Guimaraes is heavily linked with Arsenal and looks closer to the exit than ever.
Shearer can see what the fans are seeing.
"I don't think it's a great look for what's happening at the minute with Newcastle, you know, it's like what's going on? We're selling all our best players.
The fans are seeing Isak go, the fans are seeing Tonali go, the fans are seeing Gordon go. My guess is it's probably only a matter of time before Bruno goes, because he'll look at what's happening with all those players and look at what's happening with Eddie and think, 'Well, from a personal point of view, from his point of view, I guess I'm going to be next'.
It's certainly not a good look, and they'll have to navigate some tough waves coming their way now, because it's the unknown."
From Champions League nights to a summer of doubt
Howe’s tenure has been transformative. Taking over from Steve Bruce in November 2021, he dragged Newcastle clear of relegation fears, then propelled them back into the Champions League and delivered the club’s first domestic trophy in 70 years.
Those achievements had made him the face of the project. Now he’s gone, and the questions grow louder.
Attention turns quickly to his likely successor. Saudi-based coach Matthias Jaissle, 38, is the front-runner, expected to arrive from Al-Ahli after guiding them to two Asian Champions League titles. It is a bold, ambitious choice on paper, but one that comes with obvious risk.
Shearer urged caution around the incoming man.
"I think we have to be careful if that is the case not to pile on," he said of Jaissle. "Clearly, he's got a great record in Saudi. Clearly, he's very young and inexperienced.
The Premier League is a beast of a league. It's a big ask for anyone to come in and take over after what Eddie's done."
A young coach, a volatile squad, a fanbase on edge. Whoever walks into the St James’ Park dugout inherits a club in flux rather than the upward surge Howe had engineered.
Howe’s future: rest now, offers later
If Newcastle are stepping into uncertainty, Howe is not. The 48-year-old is expected to take a break, but Shearer is convinced the phone will not stay quiet for long.
"He won't be short of offers," Shearer insisted, after thanking Howe for the "wonderful job" he did at Newcastle. "We know that, for what he's done and what he's achieved at Newcastle.
There's no doubt that he'll have people knocking on his door from all over the world, I guess. But first, I guess a rest first for him.
I know he's probably just had two or three weeks over the summer, which is why it's sort of strange timing. If something was going to happen, you would have thought it would have happened at the end of last season so it would have given Newcastle time to prepare.
From Eddie's point of view, he'll get offers. He'll get offers from the Premier League, he'll get offers from abroad. So we'll have to wait and see what is next for him."
Newcastle, though, cannot wait. Three weeks out from the new season, with star players leaving and a beloved manager gone by his own choice, the club stands at a crossroads. The next appointment, and the next big decision on who stays and who goes, will tell supporters everything about what this project really is – and where it is heading.
