'Real deal': Craig Hope now gives update to Sky Sports over the future of Eddie Howe at Newcastle

If the media is to be believed then Eddie Howe is under pressure as Newcastle United boss with the PIF looking to replace him with any number of 'big names' this summer.

There's no getting away from the fact that this has been a challenging season for Eddie Howe and has been the first time that things haven't gone swimmingly for the gaffer since he arrived at the club in November 2021.

However, mainstream media has taken this as a sign to connect dots that aren't there and suggest that Newcastle United will be actively looking to replace Howe in the summer. Names like Roberto Mancini, Xavi Hernandez and Julian Nagelsmann have appeared recently, and of course there's the perennial link to Jose Mourinho that just won't go away.

However, common sense will tell you that a change in manager is extremely unlikely at the end of this season and that's exactly what Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope told Sky Sports last night.

Craig Hope was very defiant with his thoughts on Eddie Howe's future

Hope was told he had 20 seconds to give his verdict on whether or not Eddie Howe would still be in charge at Newcastle next season.

"I don't need 20 seconds, I can tell you in two. Yes. Absolutely.

"Eddie's the right man for the job, he's got the support of the owners, it's been a bruising, difficult season, but he's got their support. He's got the support of the fans as well. The press up here as well, we sit down with him every week. Eddie's the real deal, he's ok."

Howe is not invincible, but he'll not be axed for this season's performance

Craig Hope has his detractors, mainly because it's the poor bloke's job to break bad news and he gets slammed as being negative - it's not his fault there's negative news - but on this occasion, he is very much the voice of reason.

Hope has been saying for a while now that there's no talk within the club walls of replacing Eddie Howe and that, along with common sense, is enough to have us believing that Howe will continue in the role next season.

We do, however, feel that if things don't improve next year then Howe could find himself on shaky ground, especially if there's no injury crisis to heap the blame on - which, please, let us not have a repeat of that again.