Newcastle United

Charlotte Robson
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Another week, another loss. This is a familiar feeling for Newcastle fans. It was once our comfort zone. But it was our comfort zone when we were told our only ambition was to keep "ticking along" and to stay in the Premier League by the skin of our teeth. That has not been the stated ambition for some time now, so you can see why this feels extra jarring and difficult.

This weekend's game brought the Eddie Howe question closer to the surface. My concern going into St James' Park on Saturday was the crowd. We're a vocal fanbase; if we don't like what's happening at our club that will make itself heard. That in itself is fine - but I was worried about the potential toxicity of it all.

This has been a divisive time. At least under previous managers, when things were bad, there wasn't any particular historic success to hark back to. No goodwill to tide the manager over for some. This time is different.

As it was, the stadium made it clear that what was happening on the pitch on Saturday was unacceptable. Boos at half time, boos at Tonali's substitution, boos at full time. They weren't overwhelming - and they were punctuated with some songs getting behind the manager and team - but they were there and louder than they have been.

It felt to me like we were trying to make ourselves clear without being disrespectful. Relegation form is not OK. The players' apparent lack of interest is not OK. But we are still grateful for the incredible memories we have from this management.

Whatever change happens - player shake-up, manager shake-up, a secret third shake-up nobody has told me about - we will be there. We love our club. That's why the past few months have been so painful.

Find more from Charlotte Robson at the True Faith: Newcastle United Podcast, external

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Former Newcastle defender John Anderson says there is a "lack of belief" in the current side as they continue to endure a poor run of results.

Saturday's home defeat by Eddie Howe's former side Bournemouth was their third in a row and continued a run of eight Premier League defeats in 11 games.

"Little bits of the performance were better than they have been," Anderson told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"I thought we started well, for 15 minutes the tempo of the game was good, but then we lost our way a bit again.

"We started getting sloppy and didn't keep the ball well enough. From starting the game well, we then lost our way for whatever reason. We know Bournemouth are a good side, they have got players who keep the ball well, they have good movement and energy.

"But, yet again, we didn't create enough, work the goalkeeper enough. You could count on one hand the number of saves the goalkeeper had to make and that's been a problem in recent games.

"We just haven't been working goalkeepers enough and there's a lack of belief there.

"There were just players who weren't at it against Bournemouth. They now need to win five out of five to have any chance of Europe."

Listen to the full chat below or on BBC Sounds

Newcastle United will sell Anthony Gordon, 25, to Bayern Munich if the German champions match their £75m valuation for the England forward. (Times - subscription required), external

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Newcastle and Bournemouth.

Here are some of your comments:

Newcastle fans

Brian: Very poor performance and poor gameplan. Eddie Howe has had a full season to show he knows what he is doing and this season identifies why he should be replaced along with non-performing management and coaches. Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, Tino Livramento, Lewis Hall and Anthony Gordon will be at better performing clubs next season and that is understandable as they want to play at the highest level.

Ozzy: When you get down to basics these players have let Eddie Howe down and of course the fans. Some are simply not good enough. I would give Howe time to correct this season, but I doubt the owners are going to give him that time. It's an awful end for a man who is a great bloke and has done so much for us.

G8: I was at the game. We lack leadership on the pitch. We also couldn't get any rhythm and the players were out of sync. I'd put the experience of Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn back in. William Osula tried, but he needs to put some muscle on. The three in attack were woeful.

Lee: Eddie has done amazing things for the club. But in his pre- game press conferences he says we will do X, Y and Z, then in the game it's the opposite. Has he lost the dressing room? These players get paid an awful lot of money. If they were in a normal job some would be under disciplinary procedures or given the boot.

Bournemouth fans

Simon: Fantastic to get the win. A great controlled display against a passive Newcastle. The points were there for the taking which will sicken Eddie Howe. I am proud the unbeaten record stretches to 13 games. The players clearly love Andoni Iraola and they fought even harder despite his now known departure. Keep going Cherries so Andoni can leave us with Europe next season.

Dave: 25 points from 23 games! That's Champions League form across a whole season. This Iraola side must be the best side in the Premier League, pound-for-pound.

Stewart: So proud of the team, supporting their coach to the end - wonderful. It's such a tribute to a truly great coach. As a lifetime Cherries supporter I wish him all the luck in the world - thank you Andoni.

David: We are forever developing! None more than Petrovic, who kept us in the game. James Hill and Evanilson are the unsung players. We have a super midfield engine in Ryan Christie, Alex Scott and Marcus Tavernier. It's a great pity Marcos Senesi is leaving as he's brilliant.

John Bennett
BBC Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

My broadcasting position on Saturday for BBC Final Score was in amongst the Newcastle fans, so it was a fascinating insight into their state of mind in a run of eight Premier League defeats in 11 games for the side.

The atmosphere around me was flat in the first half with bursts of anger and frustration from some of the supporters, before boos at half time.

Yes, the crowd was lifted by the equaliser from William Osula, but after Adrien Truffert's winner for Bournemouth, the boos were much louder at the full-time whistle.

Make no mistake, Magpies boss Eddie Howe is under huge pressure, and there are fans who appear to have lost faith in his ability to get this team back on track.

When I walked into the post-match news conference, Howe was being asked if he thinks this situation can be turned around, and he brought up the return of Bruno Guimaraes as a possible "catalyst".

But, what caught the attention of the journalists in the room was Howe's pause after a question about whether his squad shares "his fire" to get back to winning ways.

Eventually - after the hesitation - he insisted that day in, day out, he sees a group of players "always giving their all."

There are now five games left this season for Newcastle, starting with a tough trip to Arsenal, and despite all the good times since his arrival at the club, Howe will surely know that he's now fighting to win back the support and the faith of the fan base.

Ciaran Kelly
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

This may prove Eddie Howe's biggest challenge yet on Tyneside.

That is saying something when this is the man who ended Newcastle's 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy by winning the Carabao Cup last season.

This is the man who led his side to Champions League qualification in 2023 and 2025.

This is the man who kept Newcastle up in 2022 after taking over a winless side in deep relegation trouble only a few months previously.

This overall body of work is why Match of the Day pundit Dion Dublin has "no worries" about Howe.

"They hit such heights very quickly in his tenure, where everybody is expecting them to stay there," Dublin told BBC's Final Score.

"With the amount of injuries and stuff that he's had with this squad, it was never going to happen, but it's down to him now to make sure that he gets them back to the levels he's set."

Momentum is against Newcastle, though.

After coming out fighting on the eve of this game, declaring his fire was "burning very strongly", Howe looked glassy-eyed in his news conference following this latest defeat.

Asked if his players had the same fire, he tellingly took a seven-second pause before responding.

"I'm hesitating because I'm speaking on behalf of other people and that's very difficult to do," he said.

"I believe they do. From what I see in the training ground, I don't see any sense of poor attitude or poor commitment to their work.

"I see a group of players that are always giving their all."

Not only are Newcastle failing to see much of a return from a £100m-plus net recruitment drive that Howe was heavily involved in.

Newcastle are still searching for a lasting solution after striker Alexander Isak pushed to join Liverpool last summer.

Over the course of a draining season, Howe has pivoted from Woltemade to Wissa to Anthony Gordon and now Osula, who came mightily close to joining Eintracht Frankfurt on deadline day last September.

It sums up Howe's desperate search for a formula as his future comes under increasing scrutiny.

"It's disappointing when you are not delivering for your supporters," he said.

"That is the ultimate disappointment when you feel you are letting people down who come here and support us.

"If they are critical of us, we have to accept that as that's the game we are in."

Read more on Howe's Newcastle future

Pundits Ashley Williams and Joe Hart join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Leeds 3-0 Wolves

• Newcastle 1-2 Bournemouth

• Tottenham 2-2 Brighton

Ciaran Kelly
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Eddie Howe came out swinging on the eve of this game as he vowed to "fight until the end".

By full-time, however, he looked suitably dejected after suffering an eighth defeat in 11 league games.

This was an afternoon when there were chants of "Eddie Howe's black and white army" from the home support at various points.

But there were also boos at half-time and full-time on what felt like Groundhog Day for these supporters.

No other side has conceded more late goals (19) than Newcastle in the Premier League this season.

This flaky team are too easy to play against and, when momentum should have swung their way, after equalising, Howe's men conspired to throw it all away again.

By full-time, one or two of these players looked like they wanted this bruising season to finally end.

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "We fought back well in the second half and at 1-1 I thought we could be the team to go on and win, but we didn't stamp our authority and, similar to recent weeks, we conceded a poor goal late on.

"They are a very good team, and they gave us problems at certain moments. I don't think there was a lot in the game. It was a game of minimal shots from us. We should create more at home and that is a disappointment. It was an even game, but they had more product."

On the elements that are missing: "Confidence and our flow isn't really there, which is putting pressure on our backline. There's minimal threat before their two goals. We make mistakes, and we don't recover from them. I think the lads were there, they were present, they were trying. I would never criticise the group for that. We are collectively not at our best level, but I don't doubt the character of the players."

On booing from the fans: "Disappointing when you are not delivering for your supporters. That is the ultimate disappointment when you feel you are letting people down who come here and support us. If they are critical of us, we have to accept that as that's the game we are in."

On what he can promise for the end of the season: "We can promise 100% work and commitment to the team and the football club."

On the noise around the club: "There is so much media attention on the club because it is such a huge global fanbase, and you understand that you are in the business to win. I understand the frustrations of everybody else."

"My own internal motivation never changes regardless of results. I want to help players grow and develop and try and produce a winning team."

Did you know?

• Newcastle United have lost eight of their last 11 Premier League games (W3), with only Tottenham Hotspur (9) losing more games in the competition in 2026 than the Magpies' eight defeats.

• With an average of 24 years 191 days, Newcastle United named their youngest starting XI in a Premier League game since May 2005 vs Everton (24y 122d).

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Newcastle's performance

What did you make of Bournemouth's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Anthony Gordon misses out as Newcastle United make three changes for the visit of Bournemouth.

The forward is sidelined with a minor hip flexor issue while Joelinton is suspended.

Jacob Ramsey, Anthony Elanga and Harvey Barnes all come back into the side following last week's 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace.

Newcastle XI: Ramsdale, Livramento, Thiaw, Botman, Hall, Miley, Tonali, Ramsey, Elanga, Osula, Barnes

Subs: Pope, Trippier, Wissa, J.Murphy, Woltemade, Willock, Burn, A.Murphy, Guimaraes

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola names an unchanged side for the trip to St James' Park.

The Spaniard has understandably stuck with the team who recorded an impressive 2-1 win against Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Emirates last time out.

Today marks Iraola's first game since he announced he will be leaving the club at the end of the season.

Bournemouth XI: Petrovic, Jimenez, Hill, Senesi, Truffert, Scott, Christie, Rayan, Kroupi, Tavernier, Evanilson

Subs: Mandas, Brooks, Adams, Adli, Smith, Unal, Gannon-Doak, Diakite, Toth

There are five games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Brentford v Fulham (12:30)

• Leeds v Wolves (15:00) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Newcastle v Bournemouth (15:00)

• Tottenham v Brighton (17:30) - Listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Chelsea v Man Utd (20:00)

Kick-off 15:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Leeds v Wolves" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Tottenham v Brighton", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe welcomes his old side Bournemouth on Saturday (15:00 BST), with the two clubs in contrasting form.

Magpies struggle to hold on to a lead

Newcastle have lost seven of their last 10 Premier League matches and any hope that a three-week break might lift them out of their recent slump was quashed by their defeat at Crystal Palace last weekend.

It was their third loss in a row in all competitions – a flat performance and another game in which they threw away a lead.

Newcastle have dropped 25 points from winning positions in this Premier League campaign – five more than any other side. It's a statistic that Howe says "has blighted our season".

They have conceded 30 goals after scoring first in Premier League games in 2025-26, a division-high, and have had just three clean sheets in their 16 Premier League matches at St James' Park this season.

That statistic might not improve this weekend as Newcastle have conceded in all seven of their top-flight home games against Bournemouth, which is the most times they've faced a side without a clean sheet at St James' Park in the Premier League.

Cherries aim to see off Iraola in style

It may be a long way from the south coast to Tyneside but it's a journey Bournemouth seem to enjoy.

They have lost on just two of their eight Premier League visits to St James' Park and have averaged three goals a game in their past three matches in all competitions there.

One of those was their FA Cup penalty shootout defeat on 10 January. That was a tough pill to swallow, but since then, the Cherries haven't lost – in fact they are unbeaten in their past 12 Premier League matches, their longest undefeated run in the competition.

Bournemouth conceded three goals at Newcastle in January but their defence, which was decimated in last summer's transfer window, has been pretty tight so far in 2026, conceding just three goals in their last six away games.

It has all helped to contribute to their long unbeaten streak - coincidentally, the last side other than Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City to have a longer such run without losing were Newcastle, who went 17 unbeaten in 2022-23.

The Cherries are currently 11th, but with things tightly packed in the Premier League mid-table, they have every chance of exceeding their previous best finish of ninth. That would be a fitting tribute to head coach Andoni Iraola, who announced this week that he will leave the club in the summer.

Newcastle are in a slump and their manager Eddie Howe looks tired.

He could definitely do with a win, which is why losing late on against Sunderland and then Crystal Palace has been so damaging. They have now dropped 25 points from winning positions this season, five more than any other Premier League club.

This is the ninth time Howe has faced Bournemouth as Newcastle boss in the Premier League, but he is yet to beat his old club. Saturday would be a very good time for him to change that.

Bournemouth already know they will have a new manager next season, with Andoni Iraola set to leave at the end of this campaign. That news is a hammer blow for them.

The Cherries have been playing well and got a great win against Arsenal last weekend, but I am still going with Newcastle to beat them despite their recent poor results.

That's right, I am backing Eddie - the law of averages means he has to get a result against Bournemouth some day.

Sutton's prediction: 2-1

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Carter from South Shields was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer in 2024.

Whilst in hospital, he won a competition to design a 'dream bestie' - a microwaveable soft toy which can help with the pain of treatment. Carter's design called 'Harvey the Harp seal' will now be transformed into a toy, with proceeds helping to support the work of Cancer Support UK.

He's a massive Newcastle United fan and Carter told us 'Harvey' was inspired by his hero.....Harvey Barnes.

The winger surprised Carter while on a visit to St James' Park.

Listen above or get the clip and more Newcastle United audio here

Ciaran Kelly
Newcastle United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

This was the day when Eddie Howe channelled his inner Mikel Arteta.

"My fire is there," the Newcastle United head coach said as he echoed words from his Arsenal counterpart.

"There's loads of wood stacked up."

Having appeared a little flat at his news conference a week previously – even before a subsequent defeat against Crystal Palace - a defiant Howe came out fighting on Friday.

The head coach certainly has to rouse his side into life before the visit of Bournemouth on Saturday.

There have been some strong words on the training ground this week and Howe is again expected to make changes as he looks to finally defeat his former club in the Premier League for the first time.

Captain Bruno Guimaraes is among those desperate to be involved after recovering from illness and injury.

Understandably so.

Newcastle are languishing in the bottom half of the table and have lost seven of their last ten top-flight fixtures.

Such a run has led to Howe's future coming under increased scrutiny.

"I just want serve the club and do what's right for the football club," he added. "That's always been my aim.

"If that's me leaving to help the club, then of course that's something I'll do, I've got no issue doing that. It's not about me.

"But if I believe I'm the right person to take the club forward, which I do currently right now, then I'll do that and I'll fight to the end. I'll fight harder than I've ever fought before."

Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Bournemouth at St James' Park (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Howe said positivity is needed with a win: "We need that feeling back, it has been too long. We're desperate to win and play well. Disappointing result against Crystal Palace so things were a bit negative but we are trying to propel ourselves towards a good result."

• The Newcastle boss said on captain Bruno Guimaraes: "There is a chance he could be involved. We have seen him in training. The medical team are cautious because the player wants desperately to play. I've loved that about Bruno, he is desperate to help the team. I will make a decision based on what I see in training today and there is a possibility."

• On Yoane Wissa's struggles: "He has had a very difficult season and the most difficult part was that he got fit again and then we haven't been able to train him in the way that we wanted to." Howe added that "a pre-season would definitely help him" and "the best is yet to come".

• On potentially finishing in a European place: "It's still possible. Strange year in terms of the Premier League table. We need those runs of wins which we haven't done for the first season since I have been here."

• Howe said his fire is "burning very, very strongly" but there is "no guarantee" from his side about what will happen in the future because forces in "football clubs move quickly".

• In relation to Anthony Gordon transfer links, Howe said: "I'm not going to play any player if I don't feel they are 100% committed to the club and their future. That is generally across the board. I always do what I think is best for the team."

• On Bournemouth: "In the league we haven't beaten them [in his time at Newcastle]. They are a very good team, they have been on a good run recently in the Premier League and they have their clear strengths. We know what we need to do to win the game and certain parts of our game are going to have to function very well. Every game in the Premier League is difficult."

• He stressed that "home form has always been the bedrock of our success" and "it is our number one priority". Howe added: "We need to make this a fortress again."

• On what he wants to see from his side: "A team that is prepared to run, attack, playing with a high motivation level, freedom. I want to be entertained watching the team play, I don't want to look at the team and think I don't recognise them and there have been moments this season where I have felt that. I've been disappointed not in terms of the effort but in terms of what we have delivered. A big emphasis on entertainment and attacking. We have lost grip of it slightly and the proof is in terms of what you see."

Hear Howe speaking to BBC Radio Newcastle on BBC Sounds here or by clicking play above

Listen to live commentary of Newcastle v Bournemouth from 14:55 BST on Saturday on 5 Sports Extra and BBC Sounds

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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