What’s Gone Wrong For Newcastle United?
Eddie Howe is fighting for his job as Newcastle United falls further and further down the Premier League table.
LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 25: Newcastle United Head Coach Eddie Howe claps the fans following the Premier League match between Arsenal and Newcastle United at Emirates Stadium on April 25, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images) Newcastle United via Getty Images When Saudi Arabai’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) invested in Newcastle United nearly five years ago, it seemed certain the St James’ Park club was on a route to the top of English and European soccer. It was apparently inevitable that Newcastle would become the next Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain.
Instead, Eddie Howe’s team is slumped in 14th place in the Premier League table this season, a long way from the upper echelons many predicted they would have reached by now. Howe is under pressure to prove he’s still the right man for the job, but Newcastle has even more to consider than just the future of its manager. Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and a delegation from PIF is visiting the North East this week for meetings that could determine the future direction of Newcastle United.
This comes after a withdrawal of funds from LIV Golf and a resetting of several investment focuses that could hit Newcastle hard. PIF isn’t going to be spending as much on sport in the years to come. Newcastle fans gather outside St James' Park as they wait for Sunderland fans during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Sunderland at St.
James's Park in Newcastle, United Kingdom, on March 22, 2026. (Photo by Mark Cosgrove/News Images/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images Progress has been slow for Newcastle. While the club qualified for the Champions League quicker than anyone expected when PIF arrived in October 2021, making the steps required to challenge for soccer’s biggest prizes haven’t happened.