Surprise reports this week claimed that Newcastle United could consider replacing Eddie Howe with Jose Mourinho as manager.
Howe has done a brilliant job during his time on Tyneside. But he is now having to deal with the pressure of expectation, with the Magpies now back in the Champions League.
Newcastle are currently six points off the top-four in the Premier League. And they sit bottom of their Champions League group with two games remaining.
Newcastle linked with Jose Mourinho
It would be incredibly harsh to sack Eddie Howe. But much may depend on how patient Newcastle’s new owners are willing to be in their quest to build a powerhouse.
Interestingly, reports from Corriere Giallorosso claimed that Newcastle could target Jose Mourinho as a replacement for Howe.
Jose Mourinho would be a controversial choice. Of course, he has previously been considered one of the greatest of all-time. But his stock has arguably been in steady decline since his second spell at Chelsea.
One of the stints which followed his departure from Stamford Bridge was a spell in charge of Tottenham. And interestingly, it was during that time in charge that he was tipped for major success by Kieran Trippier.
MORE NEWCASTLE UNITED STORIES
Kieran Trippier an admirer of the Portuguese
Trippier did not work under Mourinho as he had left for Atletico Madrid a few months earlier. However, he was clearly a big admirer of the Portuguese as he backed Spurs to get themselves out of their rut.
“It’s a difficult period at the moment for them because with the team they’ve got they don’t deserve to be where they are,” he told The Beautiful Game Podcast.
“They’ve missed H [Harry Kane] for so long and he’s a natural goalscorer for them, Sonny with the military and the Olympics.
“They’ve got a fantastic team and it’s about challenges. You will go through periods like this but they will come out the other end for sure. Make no mistake about that as they have a fantastic, unbelievable manager.
“You look on paper and they have a quality team. I feel like they’ve brought the right manager in as he’s a natural winner.”
Trippier has previously labelled Howe an ‘unbelievable’ manager. So he will not want to see him leave. However, he will also know how football works and how ruthless it can be.
So if Howe is dismissed anytime soon and replaced by Mourinho, he may be one who is ready to give the 60-year-old the chance to prove that he is the right man to take Newcastle forward.