Eddie Howe led a Newcastle team that was blossoming and on the up for several years, but he's presided over a decline over the last 12 months, which has ended with him stepping away16:01, 30 Jul 2026Eddie Howe's time at Newcastle has come to an end - a tenure that promised so much has endured in a gradual decline over the past year.‌Even before the Magpies were well beaten by Bristol City on Wednesday night, it did not seem a happy camp. Howe has taken Newcastle from a side fighting relegation to one making the Champions League knockouts, but his hands have appeared increasingly tied.‌In recent years the club have appeared hamstrung and this summer Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali have been sold, while Bruno Guimaraes may yet follow.‌Newcastle's Saudi Arabian owners have spoken about being the world's best team sooner rather than later, but the club are tracking in the opposite direction right now. Howe has enjoyed the affection of the Toon Army, taking them to heights they haven't seen since Sir Bobby Robson managed them in the early 2000s.But last year's 12th-place finish followed years that have seen Newcastle lack consistency. Howe's full-season finishes read fourth, seventh, fifth and then comes their drop down to the bottom half. That has appeared a lot to stomach, the repercussions have been obvious, and Howe has called time.The highs have been monumental, but the lows over the past year especially have not aligned with a club who want to be up there with the elite. We delve into the five moments that saw Howe scale the mountain, before falling down it at an alarming rate.‌His first January windowNewcastle walked in 2022 as a side in the relegation zone, but no team in the bottom three of the Premier League has ever had such an injection of cash given their takeover only months earlier. They spent it excellently though, recruitment the club conducted wasn't just to save them, but to set them up for the years that followed.Kieran Trippier was the first statement buy of the Saudi-era and the versatile full-back was signed for only £12million, which was excellent value. That same window they landed Guimaraes from Lyon, who was well thought of, but didn't have Europe's elite crying out for him. He's become the cornerstone of everything good that happened under Howe.‌Securing Champions League footballA year after securing a mid-table spot, armed by the addition of Alexander Isak, Newcastle begun 2022/23 in impressive fashion, losing just once in their first 24 games to start the season. They mixed it with the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United. They would later claim wins over the Red Devils and hammer Tottenham 6-1 in a memorable afternoon at St James' Park.Qualifying for the Champions League was certainly on the radar, but there's no doubt Howe accelerated that timeline. Whether that changed the perception of what the club should be achieving, only those inside the four walls know, but they seized on poor years from the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea to finish fourth.Winning the Carabao CupNothing ignites tenures and gets fans excited more than a trophy and for all the times Newcastle had finished in the top four over the past three decades, never did they have their moment in the sun. Well, Howe changes that, and it was a managerial masterclass that day at Wembley.‌Having beaten Arsenal home and away, they were still underdogs when they came up against Liverpool, who had set the pace in the league and were tipped to claim the first trophy of the Arne Slot era. Instead goals from Dan Burn and Isak set Newcastle on their way to the most memorable of triumphs.Isak's exit and failed replacementsOnly months after scoring to down Liverpool in the final, one of 27 goals that year, the Swede decided he wanted out. He was prepared to down tools to get his own way and this was the first time in the Saudi-era that Newcastle had one of their biggest names wanting to quit. Previously they had been upwardly mobile and it seemed everyone was here for the journey, but it appeared not.‌Isak's desire to leave was a distraction. Newcastle claimed he wasn't for sale, but then let him leave on deadline day. In return they managed to land Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa - between them last year they scored 14 times and some games saw them sat on the bench alongside each other. Before that Newcastle had tried - but failed - to sign Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko. It was an unmitigated mess, and the season that followed reflected that chaos.Sunderland complete the doubleIn a Premier League campaign that saw Newcastle lose 17 times, going down to Sunderland at St James' Park was perhaps the lowest point. The Black Cats were enjoying an excellent debut year, securing European football, and followed up their win at the Stadium of Light by silencing their rivals.Article continues belowSunderland scored their winner in the 90th minute - which was the fourth time in just over two months that Newcastle had conceded a losing goal after the 80th minute. The loss to their arch rivals was also during a period whereby they were beaten nine times in 12 games and their season dwindled to one of irrelevance.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. 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