Alan Shearer has questioned the timing of Eddie Howe’s departure from Newcastle and predicted a “tough season” ahead for the Tyneside club.
Howe stood down on Thursday as head coach at St James’ Park after five years in charge, the news coming just hours after his team were thrashed 4-1 at Bristol City in a pre-season friendly.
It has been a turbulent summer for Newcastle with Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali having left and captain Bruno Guimaraes desperate to join Arsenal.
And Shearer believes it would have been better if the 48-year-old had offered to go at the end of last season.
He told Betfair: “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.
“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 don’t think it’s a great look for what’s happening at the minute with Newcastle. We’re selling all our best players. The fans are seeing [Alexander] 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.”
Newcastle’s new transfer model fails to convince Shearer
Newcastle have made some signings over recent weeks but have gone for up-and-coming talents such as Ewen Jaouen, Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba and Bazoumana Traore.
And Shearer is not convinced that is a recipe for success.
“I’d like to see Newcastle sign players, because it’s alright having this bold new look of going for young, hungry players who are 30 or 40 million pounds. But also, the Premier League is tough. You need some experienced heads in there as well,” he added.
“There’s no doubt this season’s going to be a tough one for Newcastle. You can’t keep selling your best players in the hope that you’re going to get to where you want to get to. What I would like is stability.”
Howe led Newcastle to the EFL Cup in 2025 – the club’s first major trophy in 70 years – but his relationship with an expectant fanbase turned sour last season with a 12th-placed finish as well as home-and-away defeats to bitter rivals Sunderland.
Matthias Jaissle is rumoured to be Howe’s replacement. The 38-year-old German is currently at Al-Ahli, who, like Newcastle, are owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund.
Jaissle won the Austrian Bundesliga with RB Salzburg and has led Al-Ahli to two Asian Champions League successes but Shearer is wary of bringing someone in with no Premier League experience.
“Clearly, he’s got a great record in Saudi [but] clearly, he’s very young and inexperienced,” said the former Newcastle striker. “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. If Jaissle does come in, you’re asking a 38-year-old to navigate very, very tricky waters.”
