Sutton predicts ‘problems on the horizon’ for Newcastle after Howe’s ‘concerning’ comments

Eddie Howe’s comments about lack of “alignment” at Newcastle United means possible “problems on the horizon” for the Magpies, according to former Premier League striker Chris Sutton.

Newcastle have made a great start to the new Premier League season with wins over Southampton and Tottenham , and a draw against Bournemouth giving them seven points from their first three matches of the campaign.

The Geordies brought in Lewis Hall, Odysseas Vlachodimos, Will Osula, Lloyd Kelly and John Ruddy this summer but there was a lack of marquee signings over the transfer window.

Newcastle couldn’t get a late deal over the line for Marc Guehi and Sutton reckons the departures of Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi are already having an impact on Howe.

And Sutton thinks there could be trouble ahead at Newcastle unless the board and the manager get back on the same page.

Sutton told casinoapps.com : “I don’t think that Eddie Howe looks entirely happy at Newcastle United this season. There’s no doubt that Marc Guehi was the player he wanted to bring into the club. He was his number one target, and you have to wonder if the fact that Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi have left the club had an impact on that signing. They were both strong allies of Eddie Howe, and new people like Paul Mitchell have come in to replace them.

“He’s hinted that all may not be well behind-the-scenes. On the pre-season tour, he mentioned that there wasn’t a total alignment in what he wanted to do and the new hierarchy.

“That set alarm bells off because Eddie Howe isn’t a loudmouth. He’s measured; he doesn’t shoot from the hip. If you think about his career in management, he’s never really made a statement like that before. He’s a deep thinker, so for him to come out and even suggest that they weren’t in alignment worries me.

“Eddie would have had his targets, and he’s not got them. I think that could be a problem further down the line.

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“Eddie has done a phenomenal job at Newcastle. I’m not privy to what goes on in the background at the club, but for him to speak as openly as he did, that would concern me if I was a Newcastle United fan.

“The club managed to hold onto Alexander Isak, Bruno and Anthony Gordon, which is important. For Newcastle to make the next step, they need to retain their best players, but they also need to strengthen. Guehi was a player who Howe felt would allow him to do that, and the club didn’t get it over the line for whatever reason. Howe has every right to feel pretty peeved about that.

“There could be problems on the horizon (between the manager and the board). Newcastle have had a reasonable start, but the performances haven’t been there, and they sort of got away with one at the weekend against Tottenham.”