Eddie Howe’s Newcastle Future in Question Despite Potential Carabao Cup Success
Eddie Howe faces an uncertain future at Newcastle United, with speculation that even winning the Carabao Cup might not secure his long-term position at the club.
Newcastle United are preparing to end their 70-year trophy drought as they face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley this Sunday. This represents a golden opportunity for the Magpies to claim their first major domestic silverware since 1955.
Both sides enter the final with significant personnel challenges. Newcastle will be missing several key players:
- Lewis Hall (injured)
- Sven Botman (injured)
- Anthony Gordon (suspended)
Meanwhile, Premier League leaders Liverpool will likely be without Trent Alexander-Arnold, who suffered an ankle injury during Tuesday’s match against Paris Saint-Germain.
Despite the potential achievement of winning a trophy, former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan delivered a stark assessment of Howe’s position at Newcastle on talkSPORT.
“I’ve always said, and I don’t make any apologies for this, I said this to him when I spoke to him, is that I’ve always felt [Howe] is the gatekeeper,” Jordan stated.
Jordan elaborated that the Saudi owners have significantly loftier ambitions: “Ultimately, it’s very unlikely that the lofty ambitions of the Saudis, who didn’t buy Newcastle so they can win the League Cup, they want to win the Premier League and Champions League.”
Saudi Ambitions May Require a Different Manager
While acknowledging Howe’s achievements at Newcastle, Jordan suggested the current manager might simply be laying foundations for someone else to build upon:
“They will take the League Cup in the meantime because it will mean so much to the fans. My perception was that Eddie might be very valuable and deservingly rewarded for achieving something at Newcastle, which is getting a good side, a team that is really competitive in the Premier League and who people actually like to watch.”
Jordan continued with his assessment, suggesting that despite Howe potentially winning the Carabao Cup, financial restrictions could eventually lead to his departure: “That might well mean that Eddie becomes a casualty in 18 months, knocking on the door of the FA’s building to take over from Thomas Tuchel.”
This isn’t Howe’s first Carabao Cup final with Newcastle. He led the team to Wembley in 2023, where they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United under Erik ten Hag.
Liverpool are the current holders of the trophy after Virgil van Dijk’s extra-time winner against Chelsea in last year’s final—what proved to be Jurgen Klopp’s final piece of silverware as Liverpool manager.
For Newcastle supporters, the significance of potentially ending their trophy drought cannot be overstated. The club last won a major domestic trophy in 1955 when they lifted the FA Cup.
Are you excited about Newcastle’s chances in the Carabao Cup final? Do you think Eddie Howe deserves more time regardless of Sunday’s result? Share your thoughts on social media using #NewcastleCupFinal and follow our coverage for complete match analysis and post-game reaction.