Newcastle legend Alan Shearer has spoken out about Eddie Howe's future after a difficult start to the season for the Magpies manager.
Howe celebrated three years in business at St James' Park last month and has turned the club from relegation candidates to European contenders in this period.
However, Newcastle have struggled to get through this season and currently sit in 12th place after their fifth defeat of the season against Brentford on Saturday.
The 4-2 defeat was littered with errors which led Shearer to question the players' attitude and label the team 'defensively terrible'.
The pressure is mounting on Howe, but Shearer remains convinced he is the man who will turn Newcastle's fortunes around.
I have no doubt that Howe is still the right man for Newcastle,” Shearer wrote in his column for The Athletic.
'He can and must lead the team forward. After what he has done, not only taking the team away from relegation and straight into the Champions League, but the way he has set standards and built an identity, he deserves time and patience.
'He needs support, because that identity is fading. I don't think there is the mood – or the money – to change anything.”
Shearer admitted he was disappointed with Newcastle's summer recruitment after they failed to get a deal over the line for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, while they also sold Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to Nottingham Forest and Brighton respectively to ensuring they adhered to PSR rules. .
He is concerned that business at the club is stagnating and has called on the club's owners, PIF, to come out and make clear their vision for taking Newcastle forward.
But for now, Shearer believes Howe must focus on getting Newcastle through a 'crucial period' in their season so they can look ahead to 2025 with optimism.
Newcastle will face Leicester and Ipswich in the pre-Christmas competition, either side of the Carabao Cup quarter-final with Brentford.
There are grumblings of discontent at St James' Park, and Shearer believes three wins in a row are needed to relieve Howe and get Newcastle back on track.
“Give it ten days and three brilliant wins and I'll be singing a different tune, but as things stand it feels like there's inconsistency baked into it,” Shearer continued.
'No matter how good they think they are, players have to run to exhaustion every match. Howe has to find a way to get past Leicester and Brentford because that will keep the season alive and reduce the noise.”
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