PIF could finally sack Howe to hire Spanish “genius”

Anything could happen when PIF representatives sit down with Eddie Howe to conduct Newcastle United’s end-of-season review.

Newcastle have been poor this season, especially letting their wheels spin over the past several months, suffering nine defeats across their past 14 Premier League matches.

14th in the standings, you would think that the Magpies need to beat Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday to keep their slim hopes of securing passage into Europe alive.

It feels unlikely, to be sure, and word on the street is that work has begun on identifying a coach to replace Howe at the St. James’ Park helm.

Newcastle searching for Howe successor

Howe has done great things on Tyneside, but it might be the right time for change, a natural break at the end of a title-winning project.

The formbook will tell you that it hasn’t been good enough for a while, and belief has been vacuumed from a side built atop of bricks of sureness and coherence.

Who could actually replace Howe, though? Andoni Iraola and Oliver Glasner are compelling candidates, but would either be an actual upgrade on Howe? Perhaps, but it’s uncertain territory for PIF to navigate.

They should be aiming for a higher calibre to match their lofty ambitions.

That’s what pundit Ally McCoist thinks, in any case, with talkSPORT revealing that Xabi Alonso will be in contention as Newcastle scribble down a success plan.

There’s no question that this will be a tricky one to get over the line. Liverpool have been fiercely linked with their former midfielder, and other suitors are bound to materialise for the out-of-work coach.

At Newcastle, the 44-year-old Alonso could become one of the best in the business, rivalling Pep Guardiola and the like.

Why Alonso would be an upgrade on Howe

Alonso parted with Real Madrid midway through the first year at the helm of his old stomping. Sacked or departure by mutual consent, the reality is the same: it was not a healthy relationship, and the Spaniard struggled to get the Galactico’s on board.

However, this blot on the copybook does not erase the incredible work he did with Bayer Leverkusen, who enjoyed an invincible domestic campaign under his wing in 2023/24, ending Bayern Munich’s reign of dominance.

Success is ephemeral, and Neverlusen are part of the trailing pack once more. They have struggled since Alonso left in 2025.

Moreover, Alonso would find at Newcastle a group of player more amenable to his methods, ready to absorb his vision and create a lasting project at St. James’ Park.

Alonso might struggle to match Sir Alex Ferguson’s trophy haul in the Premier League, should he join Newcastle this summer, but he could echo Guardiola’s impact at Manchester City, joining an affluent outfit who have made gains but now need a “genius tactical mind“, as Alonso has been described by content creator James Allcott.

Howe is a great manager, but is he a world-class coach? Newcastle sometimes struggle to outwit their cleverest opponents, as has been clear during tough outings in the Champions League over the past several years. Alonso – described as “one of the best managers in the world” by Carlo Ancelotti – would change that; Guardiola’s one-time protege at Bayern Munich, he could make such a difference on the tactical front while maintaining intense and healthy player-coach relationships.

Alonso shifts between a back four and a three-man defence, but he has shown a level of adaptability that Newcastle could benefit from. Sometimes this season, they have been too rigid, stuck in their ways.

Howe has earned the eternal gratitude of the Newcastle persuasion, but we cannot ignore the facts any longer, and the truth is that this club has fallen by the wayside.

If a rising manager such as Alonso is interested in the job, PIF must pull no punches in getting a deal over the line.

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