Newcastle United without Eddie Howe: mid-table, inconsistent and out of the cup

Newcastle are mid-table under Matthias Jaissle after Eddie Howe's exit. Form, key players, PIF ownership and Everton at St James' Park on Monday 2 November.

Newcastle United have a new head coach, a thin run of form and, by that head coach's own account, too many avoidable mistakes.

Eddie Howe stepped down at the end of July. The man who took the club from relegation trouble to Champions League football twice, and won the EFL Cup in 2025, according to BBC Sport, is out of work and being linked with Manchester United. Matthias Jaissle replaced him, and three months in the record reads: 11 points from eight played, three wins, two draws, three defeats. That was 10th going into Saturday evening, with Tottenham, Aston Villa and Fulham all still playing and able to climb past them.

Form

Last five league results: a 4-1 defeat at Leeds, a 2-1 win over Hull, a 4-1 loss at Coventry, a 1-0 loss to Aston Villa at St James' Park, and a 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on 25 October. Newcastle were then knocked out of the EFL Cup fourth round at Everton on Thursday, 3-1. Asked how much of that was down to avoidable errors, Jaissle told reporters: "therefore I probably need to scream more", according to The Guardian's Football Daily. Before that run came 2-0 at Tottenham, and draws of 2-2 with Liverpool on opening day and with Bournemouth.

Key players

Harvey Barnes, the club's top scorer this season with four goals in all competitions.
Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock, level with Barnes on two league goals.
Nico González, signed from Manchester City for £47m plus a possible £3m in add-ons, per Wikipedia.
Yoane Wissa, eight league appearances and one goal.

Alexander Isak, who left for Liverpool last year in a British-record £125m move, is now scoring for someone else: six league goals, per BBC Sport.

Owners and money

The Public Investment Fund holds 85%, with RB Sports & Media on 15%, and Yasir Al-Rumayyan is chairman. The £125m Isak sale is the big number in their recent history, and González is one visible piece of the rebuild. There is also a small one: BBC Sport understands any club hiring Howe now owes Newcastle a compensation fee that began at £6m and has already halved. The Guardian notes that CEO David Hopkinson introduced Jaissle as "a rock star". Three months in, he is learning what that audience expects. Wikipedia lists no European competition this season, so the league and the FA Cup are all that is left.

The season so far

Good at Spurs and Palace, heavy defeats at Leeds and Coventry, and out of the League Cup. Newcastle have not scored more than two goals in any league game this season.

Next up

Everton at St James' Park on Monday 2 November, a team that has just done them in the cup.

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