'Keep your eye out': Stan Collymore now claims Paul Mitchell has been told to be on the lookout for new manager

Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell haven't seen eye to eye so far in their burgeoning working relationship at Newcastle United.

The two are still getting familiar with how each other works and constant needling from the press has led to some awkward answers in interviews which have been savagely picked apart and turned into sensationalist stories.

We obviously don't know exactly what's going on behind the scenes and likely never will, but as long as the two can iron things out and work together it shouldn't be a problem.

However, former Aston Villa and Liverpool striker Stan Collymore believes that Eddie Howe's days are numbered at the club and that he's not the right man to lead Newcastle to glory.

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Stan Collymore makes it sound like a coup is underway at Newcastle

In his column for Caught Offside, Collymore claims that he believes it's only a matter of time before Paul Mitchell is told to keep an eye out for a replacement manager.

"I think that they’ve started the season relatively okay, and with no European football this season, there are no players flying here, there and everywhere with their country. That means Howe has no excuses in terms of bringing further success to the club."

"If Newcastle are fifth, sixth or seventh at a time when the likes of Aston Villa are juggling lots of different balls, I’m sure that a director of football would have been given the remit by the ownership to say, keep your eye out for other people."

Collymore doesn't think Eddie Howe is capable of winning trophies

He may have a point as the owners are going to start demanding trophies at some point, and without Amanda Staveley to back him up, Howe is a lot more exposed, however, the Magpies are fourth in the overall Premier League table since Howe took over so he's not exactly doing a poor job, is he? Especially as he's not been backed in the transfer market in the last two windows.

Collymore goes on to say that he doesn't think Eddie Howe is the man to win Newcastle titles, and with that, I very much disagree. He's already got us closer than any manager in over 20 years and that was with a relatively poor squad.

The more top players he's able to add, the closer he will get. Do I think we'll win anything this season? Probably not. But it's coming, and if Eddie Howe is backed and sticks around, I have no doubt that he can bag us our first silverware in my lifetime (Inter-Toto Certificate, Sela Cup and Diriyah Season Cup aside, obviously).