Jumping The Shark — The Point Of No Return For Eddie Howe?

Did Eddie Howe 'jump the shark' against Brentford? Dom Kureen pinpoints the exact moments when former NUFC managers have secured their P45.

It felt like a watershed moment — Dan Burn sent onto the pitch as the cavalry in the final, desperate act of a dismal 3–2 home defeat at the hands of Brentford. The giant centre-back took his place at left-back, while the position’s natural incumbent, Lewis Hall, was shunted onto the opposite flank.

Baffling!

The disarray that followed saw optimistic direct passes launched towards William Osula, with the young attacker galloping forward in isolation while the likes of Nick Woltemade slowly orbited his own penalty area, possessing all of the urgency of a sloth during slumber season.

Players looked confused, frustrated, fed up, with the lack of attacking incision seeing heckles from the stands grow more audible, the sense of inevitability weighing heavier upon the shoulders of 52,000 onlookers.

There are moments in football that come to define the point at which a manager “jumps the shark”.

The phrase comes from the long-running US sitcom Happy Days, when a declining show resorted to a stunt involving its lead character literally water-skiing over a shark.

The episode wasn’t the start of the decline — it was the moment everyone realised it had already happened.

Newcastle United have been here before. And history offers stark examples of the specific moments when belief finally in the coach drained away irreparably both in the stands and behind the scenes.

Ruud Gullit (1999) — Shearer And Ferguson Benched!

In August 1999, Ruud Gullit made a decision that instantly alienated supporters and players alike.

For a Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ Park, he dropped Alan Shearer and Duncan Ferguson, opting instead for Paul Robinson. Newcastle lost 2–1 to Sunderland.

Both Shearer and Ferguson stewed from the sidelines, eventually introduced in the second half but unable to positively impact the game.

Gullit later blamed the defeat on bringing the pair on as substitutes — a comment that only deepened the sense he had misread both the occasion and the club.

Days later, Gullit resigned. Shearer would later say he would have left Newcastle had Gullit remained. That team selection is still remembered as one of the most self-destructive calls in the club’s modern history.

Graeme Souness (2006) — Players Run Into Each Other

Graeme Souness’ reign ended not with a dramatic controversy, but with something arguably worse: visible chaos.

A 3–0 defeat at Manchester City in February 2006 saw Newcastle so disorganised that players were quite literally running into one another.

The performance symbolised a complete breakdown in structure, confidence and authority — “Souness Out” banners appeared, and the travelling support had seen enough.

Despite heavy spending during his tenure (including £20m wasted on the woeful Jean-Alain Boumsong and Alberto Luque), the team was sliding down the table.

Chairman Freddy Shepherd moved quickly, concluding that the situation had become untenable.

Steve McClaren (2016) — Players Deny ‘Mutiny’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5HIQrK534U

Steve McClaren’s time on Tyneside unravelled amid reports of dressing-room unrest and a collapse in discipline.

After a 3–0 home defeat to Leicester City in November 2015, stories emerged of heated confrontations at the training ground.

By March 2016, the situation had become so toxic that senior players issued a public statement denying claims of a mutiny — an extraordinary step that, in itself, underlined how far authority had eroded.

While reports of players refusing to leave the team bus were exaggerated, the atmosphere was unmistakably broken. McClaren was dismissed later that month, with Newcastle heading towards relegation.

Steve Bruce (2021) — Sunbed Steve Sees Standards Slip

In September 2021, with Newcastle winless and leaking goals, Steve Bruce’s decision to take a holiday in Portugal during an international break struck a nerve.

Training was reportedly cancelled, and some players were said to be stunned by the timing.

Concerns were heightened when Bruce failed to return in time for preparations ahead of a Tottenham fixture. When questioned, he angrily defended the trip, insisting preparation had been “meticulous”.

Coming amid longstanding complaints about standards and workload — and just weeks before the Saudi-led takeover — the episode crystallised the sense that leadership had drifted. Bruce left by mutual consent the following month.

Epilogue

Football rarely collapses overnight.

More often, it hinges on moments like those above — decisions or scenes that reveal a deeper loss of clarity, confidence or control.

While the tide has gradually been turning against Eddie Howe over the course of a challenging season, the question now is whether the profligacy of those final 15 minutes against Brentford will be identified among the carnage that broke the camel's back... For this fan, it certainly felt like it at the time.