Inside Newcastle Q&A: Is Howe under pressure? Plans for the January transfer window?
SOURCE:The Athletic|BY:Chris Waugh
Our correspondent answers your pressing questions about the club following a poor run of results
During the Premier League season, The Athletic’s Newcastle United subscribers can ask our writers covering the club for their views and insight into what’s happening at St James’ Park.
We have pulled together some of the questions and our answers from Monday’s (December 29) edition of our Inside Newcastle live Q&A, which included queries about the hierarchy’s view on Eddie Howe’s position, whether significant business will be undertaken in January and the head coach’s remarks on infrastructure projects being “in limbo”.
Want to ask us anything else Newcastle-related? Chris Waugh will be back next month for another session.
Do you think big moves could be made in January, given recent performances? — Peter A
Waugh: The messaging from those inside the club is that Newcastle are unlikely to be particularly busy in January.
As reported in The Athletic’s Boxing Day DealSheet, Newcastle will be opportunistic and aim to capitalise should any of their potential summer targets become available sooner, but there is not necessarily an expectation they will. Ideally, at least one full-back and a creative midfielder would join, while a young striker may be acquired if Will Osula departs, but it would be a surprise at this stage if Newcastle made more than one or two additions.
Osula playing for Newcastle earlier this season (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
There may be an element of expectation management as it makes sense to downplay prospective business, rather than hype it up, especially if Newcastle are attempting to make some under-the-radar moves. Kees Smit of AZ is admired but there is an acceptance Newcastle face stiff competition to sign the Dutch midfielder and are not the favourites for him. Howe also said last week that the club may act and sign defenders should the injury situation not clear up quickly, although the soundings from elsewhere are that Newcastle’s business will not be dictated by short-term problems.
Personally, I feel the potential benefit of making an addition or two — even a young full-back to provide competition, or a creative presence in midfield who may still be raw — outweighs the potential drawbacks. I am not advocating a huge spend, but an injection of freshness into the squad can lift the dressing room, offer Howe new options and lift supporters.
In short, significant squad surgery will not happen next month. One or two signings are possible, as well as an exit or two — with Joe Willock, Osula and Kieran Trippier, alongside Harrison Ashby, facing uncertain futures — but it also feasible no senior additions are made.
What is the internal feeling about our inconsistent performances and what is now expected of Howe? Is he likely to be replaced if things don’t improve? — Tariq J
Waugh: Nobody inside Newcastle is content with present results, especially not in the Premier League. They would cite Newcastle reaching a third Carabao Cup semi-final in four seasons and being well positioned to qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League as a riposte to the idea this campaign has been generally poor — yet, come May, unless the club has lifted further silverware, their top-flight finish will be what is most greatly scrutinised.
Clearly, Newcastle cannot accept being 14th after 18 matches, even if there is much mitigation. Newcastle have lost more league games (seven) than they have won (six) and are nine points off the top four following their worst start to a full campaign under Howe.
Even so, the persistent message from the hierarchy is that there is no appetite for change. David Hopkinson, the CEO, and Ross Wilson, the sporting director, are fully supportive of Howe and believe he can still take the club forwards as they aim to establish themselves among the elite by the end of the decade. They point to Howe’s achievements so far and his general credentials as to reasons why he warrants understanding and help, rather than being sacrificed as a scapegoat.
A dejected Howe after the loss to Manchester United on December 26 (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
In that sense, Howe’s position appears safe until the summer at least.
But results and mood will ultimately dictate that. Should Newcastle lose at Burnley on Tuesday, their away form will have reached inadmissible proportions, with only one win from 10 in the top flight, despite the fact they have yet to visit Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal or Chelsea.
At some stage, Howe needs to find a way of stringing multiple Premier League wins together in quick succession. With a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester City and the likelihood of a difficult Champions League knockout tie, within six weeks Howe may not have cup competitions to act as a safety net for his side’s Premier League shortcomings for much longer.
Howe needs victories to ensure the view above him does not change, especially given the fact PIF (Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund) holds the decisive sway and, while they have not intervened yet or shown any inclination to, they feasibly could as majority owners.
Will Hopkinson or Wilson ever do Q&As to media? We’ve not heard much (apart from Hopkinson’s nonsense about being No 1 in five years) — Martin G
Waugh: Hopkinson and Wilson are recent arrivals yet, in a short space of time, they have probably spoken more than most Newcastle executives over the past two decades, Amanda Staveley aside.
The Hopkinson interview you cite came at Shearer’s Bar — he will probably smirk at you referring to it as “nonsense” as well because he expects people to laugh and deride him for those views, but he is unashamedly ambitious and will continue to be bold in his pronouncements — and Wilson was also present. It only lasted 20 minutes with the written media because the pair had another engagement afterwards, but it followed them both spending 45 minutes on stage at STACK at the We Are United fan event. Wilson was also interviewed by The Athletic and Hopkinson provided quotes here, too.
I understand your question, though, and clearly some supporters want to hear from the pair more directly and more often. That is always the case when the team is struggling and fans get fed up with only hearing from the head coach, especially if their answers do not sound especially convincing.
What Newcastle actually need are on-pitch results and material off-field progress, in the form of the announcement of a new training ground, of game-changing sponsorship deals and of signings in January.
There had been suggestions at a recent FAB (Fan Advisory Board) meeting that Hopkinson would appear on BBC Newcastle and that seems like a great opportunity for him and/or Wilson to hear directly from supporters and to communicate with them.
Is there a concern that we are getting dragged into a relegation battle? — Simon D
Waugh: The R word is not one I have heard spoken with any genuine trepidation by club insiders and Newcastle are still 10 points above the bottom three. Even given their present struggles and particularly their appalling away form, it feels a bit fatalistic to be suggesting Newcastle may potentially go down.
Regardless, it would be remiss of the club not to be at least considering the possibility from a risk perspective. Newcastle have only won once away in the Premier League this season and, should their home form falter, they will only drop closer towards the bottom three.
Newcastle’s players trudge off after losing to Sunderland earlier this month (Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
However, it still feels too early to be speaking about relegation battles. Newcastle are closer to Liverpool in fourth (nine points) than they are to West Ham United in 18th (10).
Do you read anything into Howe commenting that he’s “99.9 per cent” not going to be around to see major infrastructure projects? Was it a sarcastic dig? — Andrew R
Waugh: The comments were definitely eyebrow-raising for journalists present, myself included.
In a way, Howe is stating something fairly obvious because any infrastructure project is going to take at least three to five years from the moment it is announced. Howe is already the fourth-longest serving Premier League manager behind Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta and Marco Silva, so the stats suggest he will leave Newcastle before they are concluded.
Yet to introduce the word “limbo”, unprompted, into the conversation about infrastructure projects felt telling for someone who rarely misspeaks. To then stress there is a “99.9 per cent” chance he will not be here by the time they are built did suggest he was sending a message about how unsettling it has been for players and fans to not have a clear show of PIF’s long-term ambition and commitment through the confirmation of big-ticket projects.
However, do not read too much into it. It certainly did not come across as an attack on those above him or anything like that, more Howe’s deeper feelings coming out as he provided an honest answer on where he sees the club moving in 2026 and beyond. Evidently, Howe feels on-field progress will be stunted as long as the aspirations are not certified by off-field actions.
What profile of forward are Newcastle looking at to replace Osula? Why not use Sean Neave? — Nick O
Waugh: The Osula situation is intriguing. The 22-year-old has not featured since November 2 due to a foot problem and is still wanted by Eintracht Frankfurt, yet Newcastle cannot countenance allowing Osula to leave unless a replacement is signed.
Howe does not seem convinced by Osula and another young forward would ideally be sought. What precise profile of forward is unclear, though someone versatile enough to play across the frontline would be preferred.
With Sean Neave, while he has been training with the first-team squad for much of 2025, he is not deemed ready to make the step up yet. The 18-year-old has not made a competitive appearance, despite being in multiple matchday squads, and there is a strong possibility he will be sent out on loan next month.
Newcastle’s Neave (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
The plan with Neave, like with Leo Shahar, was to keep him on Tyneside for the first half of the season to bolster training numbers for the senior squad and to gain European experience in the UEFA Youth League. But the hope is that, should an appropriate club be found, Neave can gain invaluable first-team minutes on loan.
What’s more, Neave is not necessarily an out-and-out No 9. He can also play as a No 10 and even as a No 8, so that may be another reason why he has not been thrown on at centre-forward for the first team.
If a change of manager does become required, is there anyone at the club who even has the authority to make that decision? — Matt T
Waugh: The inference, presumably, relates to Howe’s wide-ranging authority. Without doubt Howe holds significant influence and sway, having led the direction of recruitment and even being kept informed of the sporting-director hiring process this time around.
Yet, in a hierarchical sense, the head coach is outranked by the CEO, Hopkinson, who is in ultimate day-to-day charge, and Wilson, the sporting director. Among staff, it would be that duo who would have the autonomy to make the call on Howe — albeit Hopkinson has suggested he is not a footballing expert and leaves the sporting decision-making to Wilson. Even so, Wilson would theoretically require Hopkinson to sign that off.
What’s more, PIF or the Reubens could also intervene and make the call themselves. As owners, they could reach a boardroom-level decision and then provide an order to Hopkinson and Wilson.
As of yet, however, there has not been that sort of intervention from ownership and there appears to be no appetite from Wilson or Hopkinson to change head coach. They are invested in Howe and continue to be supportive of him, publicly and privately.
