Alan Shearer has voted for an Eddie Howe “change” in response to calls from some quarters to sack the Newcastle manager after a poor start to the Premier League season.

Newcastle sit 11th in the table having won five and drawn just three of their opening 11 games of the campaign, though they have impressed in the Champions League, winning three of their four games, and are through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals as they look to retain that trophy.

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And Shearerbelieves that what Howe has already achieved at Newcastle, ending their 70-year trophy drought last term, and leading their return to the Champions League, he won’t come under pressure for a “long, long time”.

He has though voted for a “change”, whether that be tactics, formation or personnel, to climb the Premier League table.

“We know the rules of football, but surely he’s got so much in the bank,” he said on the Rest Is Football podcast.

“What he’s done for Newcastle when others couldn’t do it. When you mention some of the brilliant managers that Newcastle had, then no, not for me, not for a long time.

“I think the board will not panic. They will look at what he’s done in the past and they will look at their Champions League form. They will look at the fact they’re already in the quarter-finals of the Carabao again.

“Yeah, the league has been, particularly away from home, disappointing. And my guess is you might see one or two changes, whether that’s a change of system, whether that’s a change of one or two personnel this weekend, because you can’t keep on going and doing the same thing. And he’s not that daft to do that.

“But no, not for a long time for me, Eddie, because of what he’s achieved at Newcastle.”

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The Newcastle legend went on to highlight a couple of factors which he believes have hampered Newcastle’s progress this season.

“It’s not an excuse, but you have to look at the fact of what happened to Newcastle in the summer,” he added.

“What we’ve always seen with Eddie is his team has always had great energy. Now, that’s going to be slightly changed because of personnel they had to bring in for the reasons we know. The Isak situation. Wissa hasn’t been able to play yet as well.

“For all those reasons, that’s why Eddie Howe should and will be given time at Newcastle to get their league form right. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the manager.”