'No guarantee' - Eddie Howe makes admission about Newcastle United future

Eddie Howe has admitted there is no guarantee that he will remain as Newcastle United manager next season.

And in a passionate defence of the current situation, the Toon boss insisted his fire is “burning strongly” at St James’ Park. The pressure has ramped up on Howe following the dismal 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Just like the Tyne-Wear derby three weeks earlier, Newcastle capitulated after leading 1-0 at the break. The defeat left the Magpies sitting 14th in the table with six games remaining.

Speaking to reporters this morning, Howe vowed to fight on - reiterating that he is the right man to lead the club. The 48-year-old also accepted that, if the situation changed, he would walk away from the role.

“In terms of my fire, my fire is burning very, very strongly,” Howe said. “There’s no guarantee obviously, from my side, what's going to happen in the future because, as I've said, the forces that move in football clubs move quickly. But my fire is there. There's loads of wood stacked up and I'm ready to put it on it.

“I just want to serve the club. I just want to do what's right for the football club and that's always been my aim. If that's me leaving to help the club then of course that's something I'll do. I've got no issue doing that. It's not about me.

“But if I believe I'm the right person to take the club forward, which I do currently right now, then I'll do that and I'll fight to the end. I'll fight harder than I've ever fought before. But it's making sure that those two things are aligned.”

Howe also threw the gauntlet down at his players for failing to entertain this season. A limp Toon attack has scored just 47 goals from 32 games this season.

For context, the Magpies had fired home 61 goals at the same stage last year. Surrendering 25 points from losing position in another sour note for Newcastle to swallow.

When asked how he can regain the trust of dissenting supporters, Howe said: “From the team side and from my side we need to see a team that's prepared to run. We need to see a team that's prepared to attack.

“We need to see a team that is playing with a high motivation level, with high quality, with freedom. I've said so many times I want to be entertained watching the team play. I don't want to look at the team and go ‘I don't recognise this team’.

“There's been moments this season where I have felt that, where I've been disappointed. Not in terms of the effort, but just in terms of what we've delivered. That's fundamentally important.

“What I coach, we need to see on the pitch and I know the players feel the same way. I think there's a big emphasis on entertainment, on attacking, on that spirit and that freedom that I think we've always had. We've just lost grip of it slightly. We can get it back.”

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