HOWE COULD YOU?

EDDIE HOWE’s Newcastle exit was not as sudden as it might appear.

A congregation of TWENTY-FIVE Saudi bosses decided that Howe would be allowed to stay on at the end of last season, when the Magpies finished 12th in the Premier League.

But Howe spent much of the summer reflecting on whether he actually wanted to continue after five years in the job.

And it has been reported that the former Bournemouth boss, 48, effectively made up his mind a few weeks ago, but stuck around out of courtesy until the club found his replacement – Matthias Jaissle from Al-Ahli.

The split has been described as ‘amicable’, but the fact Howe now wants to take a break from football is telling.

He brought Newcastle their first major trophy in 70 years by winning the Carabao Cup in 2025, but off the pitch it has been one headache after another.

Building up momentum was nigh on impossible towards the end of Howe’s tenure when PSR was piling on the pressure and his best players were being auctioned off in every window.

Last summer it was star striker Alexander Isak, who dug his heels in over a move to Liverpool and eventually got what he wanted.

Replacing the Swede was a nightmare as Toon bosses faced rejection from multiple targets – including Hugo Ekitike, who twisted the knife by heading to Anfield – before landing on Nick Woltemade.

This summer is shaping up to be a similar story – Sun.