Could Newcastle replace Eddie Howe with Jose Mourinho? (Photo: Getty)
Newcastle United have made their decision on whether to sack Eddie Howe with their chances of qualifying for Europe getting slimmer.
Monday night’s 3-2 defeat at Chelsea has left Newcastle 10th in the Premier League, three points off seventh-place which is likely to be the final European qualification spot.
Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United look set to finish in the top six.
That leaves West Ham, Brighton, Wolves, Newcastle and Chelsea to fight it out for seventh which will be enough to qualify for next season’s Europa Conference League – providing a team from the top six wins the FA Cup.
In any case, the Magpies may miss out which would be disappointing given how they finished fourth last season, which allowed them to compete in the Champions League.
Though it was always acknowledged that this campaign would be tougher, the dip in results and inconsistent performances have seen some question Howe’s position as manager despite the amazing job he has done since his appointment in 2021.
Newcastle’s Saudi owners have huge ambitions, which has seen the club linked with hiring a bigger name manager, most notably Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho spoke to Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan ahead of the Saudi Arabia GP (Photo: beIN Sports)
The former Chelsea boss is out of work after getting sacked by Roma in January and was recently spotted in Saudi Arabia speaking to Newcastle chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
However, The Telegraph report that regardless of whether they qualify for Europe or not, Howe will still be at St. James’ Park next season.
While Al-Rumayyan could have doubts over the 46-year-old, the rest of the board are sure Howe is the right man for the job and want him to oversee a major overhaul of the squad in the summer.
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They also acknowledge how challenging his role has been this season given the massive injury crisis his side have faced, with seven players currently sidelined while record signing Sandro Tonali remains suspended.
Regardless of league position, Newcastle will play Europa League football if they win the FA Cup, but they face a tricky quarter-final on Saturday when they travel to holders Manchester City.
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