Newcastle United supporters knew this moment was on the way. But, in truth, it ought to have arrived two months earlier.

With only three weeks to go before the new season begins, Newcastle are now preparing to bring Matthias Jaissle into the club as Eddie Howe's successor.

Howe is departing the Magpies after nearly five years in charge, a spell during which he guided the side into the Champions League on two occasions and delivered the club's first trophy since 1969.

The hugely popular head coach is bringing his Newcastle tenure to an end, several months after the first signs of unrest began to surface.

In reality, the signs had been there well before the start of the 2025/26 campaign. Howe had effectively taken on the role of sporting director as well as chief spokesperson during the lengthy period in which Newcastle had neither the former nor a chief executive, following Darren Eales stepping down for health reasons.

Alexander Isak's drawn-out departure last summer, and the frantic spending that followed in an attempt to replace him, indicated that important parts of the operation at St James' Park were far from being on the same page.

When Newcastle's 12th-place finish was confirmed after a long and punishing season, that should really have been the point at which Howe stepped away, yet for whatever reason he stayed on through the summer.

FourFourTwo understands that Howe had been prepared to leave after Newcastle's 3-2 defeat to Brentford in February. The Toon Army had thrown away an early advantage, something that had become a recurring pattern throughout 2025/26, before Dango Ouattara struck a late winner.

Howe was convinced to continue, but matters were far from settled. Soon enough, reports began to circulate in the media, and from credible outlets too, over the futures of key players Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes. Two have already departed this summer, and the third appears very likely to follow.

Inside Newcastle's Benton training ground, there has been discussion that Howe has not been the same since his bout of pneumonia. He was admitted to hospital in April 2025, spent four nights under medical supervision and missed three Newcastle matches.

For some observers, rediscovering the same energy that drove Newcastle to two unforgettable Champions League campaigns and a Carabao Cup success appears to have become too difficult.

This summer, Newcastle have moved early in the transfer market, with the recruitment drive being led by new sporting director Ross Wilson.

The seasoned football executive has a reputation for identifying and signing hidden talent. Newcastle's transfer activity has reflected that approach, although at this point many of the new arrivals still have much to prove at the top level, let alone in the harsh environment of English football they are now about to enter.

They have not been what many would describe as 'Howe signings', and that has almost certainly contributed to his choice to walk away.

Ewen Jaouen, Aladji Bamba, Sean Steur and Bazoumana Toure have joined for a combined £111 million, with the club reinvesting the money brought in from the sales of Tonali and Gordon. Clearly, those new additions are not yet at the level of the players they are replacing in Newcastle's squad.

The real reason for Howe's departure will remain unclear until he speaks publicly about it himself, but there are numerous factors involved. First, there is an ownership group that has seemed somewhat detached over the past 18 months, then there is the lack of alignment between the coaching staff and the executive structure at St James' Park, and there is also the sense that Howe had to give up his influence over recruitment this summer after a disastrous transfer window at the same time last year.

Howe had earned the right to leave on his own terms, and while this is a sad day for Newcastle fans, many will feel it is a necessary move, even if the timing could have been better.

He will remain a legend for Toon supporters because of what he achieved at the club, taking the team from relegation favourites in 2021/22 to regular challengers for Champions League qualification and finally bringing an end to the long wait for silverware.

As for where Newcastle go next, that remains uncertain, apart from the identity of the man set to fill the biggest role on Tyneside. German coach Matthias Jaissle, developed within the Red Bull system and having spent the last three seasons in Saudi Arabia, appears to be the man who will step into the dugout. People can draw their own conclusions about that appointment.

The club's hierarchy have been able to put a replacement in place because they knew Howe had reached his breaking point several months ago. On the face of it, the final trigger for the Newcastle manager's exit may seem to have been the 4-1 pre-season friendly loss to Championship side Bristol City, but that was nowhere near the decisive factor.