Newcastle boss Eddie Howe 'on the edge' as telling sack signs emerge

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Eddie Howe might have Newcastle's hierarchy in his corner but a body language expert reckons he's "a man on the edge." The Magpies have endured a difficult spell recently, suffering three consecutive Premier League defeats.

Their latest 2-1 loss to Bournemouth triggered social media speculation that Howe was "held back" for emergency discussions with CEO David Hopkinson, sporting director Ross Wilson and performance director James Bunce.

However, it's understood that these talks were simply a routine debrief among the club's senior figures and that Howe maintains the board's complete backing. It's also reported that the Newcastle boss has no intention of walking away from the challenge at St James' Park.

He will carry on preparing his team, alongside Jason Tindall , for this weekend's trip to Arsenal . Despite confirmation of Howe's job being safe, body language expert Darren Stanton remains adamant that Howe is troubled and "under pressure."

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Stanton shared his analysis with OLBG, suggesting the Newcastle manager is "resigned to his fate" at the club. He said: "Eddie Howe is being incredibly honest and open given the circumstances at present but he's a man on the edge.

"The emotional leakage is clear to see. We see the blood rushing to his face which is a tell on his heightened level of emotions.

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"It's a side effect of the brain pulling blood to wherever is needed, and when someone is under pressure, and they're feeling that adrenaline surge when they're on the spot, the blood rushes to the face.

"We see his blink rate has gone up quite a lot, and that increases further as he listens to the questions and goes to respond during his press conference, especially when asked about his future.

"You'll notice also that during the course of the interview he isn't sure what to do with his left hand either. He moves it from his leg to his hip and that's another signal of uneasiness."

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The ex-police officer went on to highlight further telltale signs of Howe's exasperation and a stark indication that he is walking a tightrope at Newcastle. Stanton added: "He is obviously very frustrated with the position he is in, and to some extent seems resigned to his fate.

"Especially after results like the one against Bournemouth. We see a bit of what we call lip suppression too, where he's physically holding himself back from what he wants to say on certain things internally, but he knows he cannot afford to let that slip.

"Howe clearly feels the responsibility here unlike what we see from other managers in difficult moments. He isn't distancing himself. He obviously cares about this in a very genuine way. But his worry is also genuine.

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