The idea of Eddie Howe leaving Newcastle United is one that continues to spark strong emotions among supporters, and a recent question put to fans has produced a fascinating and very clear reaction.
With the 2025/26 season well underway and the calendar year coming to an end, many supporters are naturally taking stock of where the club stands and where it is heading under its current manager.
The question posed to Newcastle fans was simple but powerful: how would you feel if Eddie Howe and Newcastle United parted company right now? It was asked at an interesting moment.
The season is nearly halfway complete, the team has experienced both encouraging highs and frustrating lows, and it has also been four years since Howe first walked through the doors at St James’ Park.
When Howe arrived in November 2021, Newcastle were staring down the barrel of relegation. What followed was nothing short of remarkable. He steadied a sinking ship, restored belief, and guided the club to safety when many had already written them off. Since then, the journey has been full of milestones.
There have been two trips to Wembley, two successful Champions League qualification campaigns, and a long-awaited trophy that reconnected the club with its winning identity.
This current season has not been perfect, and few would claim otherwise. Newcastle have played 27 matches across all competitions, winning 12, drawing six, and losing nine.
In the Premier League alone, the record reads six wins, five draws, and seven defeats from 18 games. That kind of return explains why league form has become a talking point and why debates seem to erupt after every match.
At the same time, there has been plenty to be positive about. Newcastle have once again reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals, for the third time in four seasons, putting them just one step away from another Wembley final.
In Europe, the team has collected 10 points from six Champions League matches, leaving them in a strong position to reach at least the play-off stage of the knockout rounds. These are not small achievements, especially for a club still adjusting to the demands of competing on multiple fronts.
Because of these mixed signals, opinions around the club can feel divided, particularly online. Social media often amplifies the loudest and most extreme voices, which does not always reflect the wider fanbase.
Many supporters never post their views publicly, yet their opinions are just as important. That is why the fan poll offered such valuable insight.
Supporters were asked to choose one word that best described how they would feel if Howe left now. The options ranged from ecstatic at one end of the scale to devastated at the other. More than 3,000 fans took part, providing a broad and meaningful snapshot of opinion.
The results were striking. Only one percent said they would feel ecstatic. Three percent said they would be very happy, and 12 percent said they would be pleased.
On the other side of the scale, 24 percent said they would be disappointed, 25 percent said they would be very unhappy, and a huge 35 percent said they would be devastated.
When those numbers are grouped together, the message becomes even clearer. A massive 84 percent of fans indicated that they would not welcome Howe’s departure at this stage. Sixty percent said they would be either very unhappy or devastated if he left now. By contrast, just 16 percent expressed any level of preference for him to go, and only a tiny three percent chose the strongest positive reactions.
These figures paint a picture of a fanbase that, despite frustrations and honest concerns, still believes strongly in Eddie Howe. Supporters recognise what he has achieved, how far the club has come under his leadership, and the stability he continues to provide. There is an understanding that progress is not always a straight line and that bumps along the road do not erase years of good work.
Of course, no poll can predict the future. Football moves quickly, and situations can change. There may come a time when both the club and the manager feel that a parting of ways is the right decision. This poll does not deny that possibility. What it does show, very clearly, is that most Newcastle fans believe that time is not now.
The overwhelming feeling among supporters is that Eddie Howe deserves the chance to see this season through. Many feel it would be unfair and unwise to pull the plug halfway through a campaign that still holds real promise in cup competitions and Europe. For the majority, the sensible approach is to back the manager, allow the team to finish the season, and then assess everything with a clear head in the summer.
In a football world often driven by impatience, these results highlight something refreshing. Newcastle United fans, in their majority, value loyalty, context, and long-term thinking. For now, they stand firmly behind Eddie Howe and believe that his story at St James’ Park still has important chapters left to be written.
