Shearer hails Howe as ‘Newcastle legend’ and fears turbulent season as Jaissle linked to job

Alan Shearer has paid an emotional tribute to Eddie Howe after his sudden departure from Newcastle United, while warning that any successor – including leading candidate Matthias Jaissle – faces an exceptionally difficult task.

Writing in his BBC column, the club’s all-time record goalscorer thanked Howe for delivering what he described as the greatest day of his life as a Newcastle supporter, following the club’s 2025 Carabao Cup triumph at Wembley.

“Thank you, Eddie. You gave me the best day of my life as a Newcastle fan,” Shearer wrote, describing Howe’s impact on both him and the wider fanbase.

He added that, regardless of the reasons behind Howe’s decision to leave, supporters of his generation and younger would feel the same way. “Whatever the reasons that led you to leave the club, I think every fan my age or younger – and I am 55 – will say the same thing,” he said.

Howe ‘will always be a Newcastle legend’

Shearer was emphatic that Howe’s place in the club’s history is secure, primarily because he ended a long and painful wait for major silverware.

“Eddie Howe will always be a legend in the eyes of Newcastle fans,” he said, “because he ended our long wait for a major trophy, thanks to that historic day he gave us at Wembley when we won the League Cup in 2025.”

Shearer argued that last summer marked a turning point that badly hindered Newcastle’s progress, pointing in particular to a key departure and a frustrating transfer window.

“What happened last summer significantly held Newcastle back, after Alexander Isak left and the club failed to sign its main transfer targets,” he explained.

He noted that those issues had not gone away. “Unfortunately, that trend has continued this year as well. I would not be surprised if that affected Eddie’s thinking about whether to stay or go, and it also makes me worry about what comes next.”

Concern over timing of Howe exit

From a fan’s perspective, Shearer believes Newcastle must brace themselves for a difficult campaign and testing period ahead, with the timing of Howe’s exit causing him particular alarm.

“As a fan only, I think we have to prepare for a tough season and challenging times,” he said. “The timing of Eddie’s departure is what surprised me most; we are three weeks into pre-season for the new campaign, and there are only three weeks left before the Premier League starts.”

Shearer admitted he does not know the full story behind the scenes but suspects the sale of key players has been central to the situation.

“I don’t know exactly what has happened behind the scenes for this to happen now,” he wrote, “but I expect that, from his point of view, he was seeing his best players sold one after another; starting with Isak, then Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali this summer, with speculation still continuing around the future of captain Bruno Guimaraes.”

Jaissle link raises fresh questions

Reports have identified Matthias Jaissle as the leading contender to replace Howe, following his resignation from Al Ahli Saudi.

Turning to the club’s current situation, Shearer questioned how any coach – particularly a relatively young one – might cope with the scale of the challenge on Tyneside.

“I think even the most experienced managers would find this situation difficult, while Matthias Jaissle, the favourite for the job, is only 38,” he said.

Shearer acknowledged Jaissle’s achievements in Saudi Arabia but stressed that managing in the Premier League would represent a completely different level of scrutiny and pressure.

“Despite his success with Al Ahli Saudi, you cannot compare that with working in the Premier League, which is a completely different world,” he concluded.