Hokey Cokey thread summer 2026

[Durhamfootman]

It's been the fear for a while

The club are busy selling everything off, made no realistic attempt to use their vast resources to make the single biggest capital investment (on which there are no restrictions) to close the financial gap between them and the top clubs.

Once again, as with player recruitment, the club wait until all the best alternatives have gone, before making these decisions.

I don't know whether they've got rid of EH, or whether he's just decided that, having re-built the club once, he can't find it within himself to start all over again from scratch

It's a disaster for the club, imo, and it's exactly what I was cautioning against a year ago when the Isak nonsense first reared its head. I feared that the signal sent, if he was just allowed to leave, would see others follow and then Howe as well.

I wish Eddie Howe well for the future, as I do with Trippier, Tonali, Gordon and Guimaraes, because they all bought into the project and then left once it became clear that the owners don't really share that dream... not really.

After yet another hugely disappointing summer, at least I won't have to worry about next season, because I'm just not going to bother for a bit

The only really surprising thing is that the owners didn't try to replace Howe with Joe Kinnear.... or maybe they did and found out that he was dead

[Durhamfootman]

It wouldn't surprise me to find out later that the sale of Guimaraes was a red line for EH. The owners were over last week for one of their big meetings and I'm going to guess that EH made his feelings known. I reckon the sale of Guimaraes will now be completed in the next few days and the owners have been preparing an Eddie replacement ever since. Hall might well go before the window closes and Livramento will go in January.

What a shame that the owners weren't quite as proactive when it came to building a new stadium, or investing in the women's team ahead of the single biggest, once only, never to be repeated opportunity to climb into the WSL. The club has been on an ambition slide since they got rid of Staveley

Ambition slide? This is the equivalent of the pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap mentality we had when Ashley was here... and the mindless minority boo boy brigade who have been agitating for Howe's removal, since he lost a game to Sunderland, *modded* hated that fat tw@t

As with everything, be careful what you wish for

[sussexpob]

Howe deserves respect for the job he did, but there were times last year that he looked devoid of any solutions to the poor season the team had, and he started to lose the dressing room a little with some of the bigger players becoming passengers at times.

I think its a decent idea to split amicably, sensible from both sides.

[sussexpob]

It wouldn't surprise me to find out later that the sale of Guimaraes was a red line for EH.

Yes, it seems Howe did threaten to quit, and being probably close to being sacked last year, the owners went and got another person and told him to bugger off.

[Durhamfootman]

The saddest thing for me is that today confirmed what I already suspected......... the dream is over. The project is finished. The players know it, which is why they are climbing over each other to get to the exit door, while they're still young enough to win something somewhere else. The manager knows it and has thrown in the towel. The capital investment never came from the owners, they've had 5 years to get it started and are still thinking about the best way to proceed. It isn't going to happen, if you ask me, despite vast wealth, no financial constraints and a council willing to bend over backwards to help them. It's just words. Profits are up, which is nice for the owners.... other than that we are back where we were under Ashley

Best players are out, new manager with no PL experience is in..... what could possibly go wrong?

Only a matter of time before the Saudis head for the exit door too, I reckon

still.... we got a trophy, which was nice..... I might see the next in another 70 years, if I'm still around

[andy]

Real shame for Howe and Newcastle he was trying to build something there and had his feet pulled out from under him...don't blame him for leaving he will be back very soon somewhere never heard of the guy there bringing in to replace him?!

[Durhamfootman]

drafted in at short notice from a Saudi league club that PIF also own

[Durhamfootman]

It's a disaster for the club

of course it isn't a disaster for the club, I foolishly conflate club with fans. It's not a disaster for the club, it will continue to make money for the owners, but it is a disaster for the fans who will very quickly have to re-acquaint themselves with those years where a mid table position represents success until such time as the Saudi's find a buyer and sell up.

[andy]

Freddie Potts apparently on his way to club brugge for £10 million would be gutted if he left! Especially for only 10 million!