Eddie Howe has left his role as Newcastle United manager after nearly five years in charge, having enjoyed strong backing from the majority of his squad. Yet a spell of that length makes it impossible to keep everyone happy, and there were two notable exceptions.
The clearest breakdown involved Alexander Isak, who pushed for a move to Liverpool last summer. As speculation grew, the Swedish striker was omitted from a pre-season match at Celtic and from a tour of Asia, and was made to train alone. Howe declined to criticise Isak even while clearly unhappy with the situation, but the player responded with a stinging social media statement accusing the club of breaking its word.
Alexander Isak: The Liverpool Transfer Fallout
"The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time. To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading," Isak wrote.
"When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue. That's where things are for me right now - and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself."
Isak eventually got his wish, joining Liverpool for a British transfer record £125million. That saga was arguably the beginning of the end for Howe's tenure.
Ryan Fraser: A Rift From Bournemouth Days
Before that, Howe had a frosty relationship with Ryan Fraser. The pair had fallen out at Bournemouth in 2020, when Fraser refused to sign a short-term extension during the Cherries' fight to stay up. Fraser later joined Newcastle under Steve Bruce, but Howe was reunited with him in 2021. By 2023, Fraser was training with the under-21s, with Howe openly saying the Scot had no future at the club.
"I'd never put a firm decision on that [whether Fraser has a future at the club] because life and football can change quickly. But I'd say, at the moment, no he doesn't," Howe said. "Ryan's training with the under-21s. I made the decision to concentrate on players that are committed to Newcastle. For the benefit of the group, I've made that call."
Earlier this year, Fraser insisted he held no hard feelings towards Howe, describing him as a "father figure" and saying: "He can make any player in this world better."
