Eddie Howe confirmed as new Newcastle manager three weeks after Steve Bruce sacking
Eddie Howe will return to the Premier League for the first time since being relegated with Bournemouth last summer after he was confirmed as Newcastle manager on Monday.
Howe, 43, had been linked with a move to Celtic earlier this year but that never transpired and instead he has come through what was described as a “rigorous recruitment process” to get back into management after 15 months out.
The Englishman joins a side recently taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) last month and expected to spend big on player recruitment, but his first task will be to earn Newcastle their first Premier League victory of the season and drag them out of the relegation zone, where they currently sit five points from safety.
“It is a great honour to become head coach of a club with the stature and history of Newcastle United,” Howe said.
Premier League: 190 games, 56 wins, 43 draws, 91 losses (1.11 points per game; best finish 9th, 2016-17)
Championship: 168 games, 73 wins, 41 draws, 54 losses (1.55 points per game; best finish 1st, 2014-15)
Total: 486 games, 199 wins, 107 draws, 180 losses (1.45 points per game
“It is a very proud day for me and my family. This is a wonderful opportunity, but there is also a lot of work ahead of us and I am eager to get onto the training ground to start working with the players.
“I would like to thank the club’s owners for this opportunity and thank the club’s supporters for the incredible welcome they have already given me. I am very excited to begin our journey together.”
Howe will have the best part of two weeks to prepare for his first outing as Newcastle manager, having been appointed at the start of the final international break of 2021 and with the majority of his squad not required by their countries.
They will host Brentford on Saturday 20 November before travelling to Arsenal a week later, and then facing back-to-back matches against fellow relegation candidates Norwich (30 November) and Burnley (4 December).
Analysis: A leap into the unknown?
By i‘s chief football writer Daniel Storey
To some extent, every managerial appointment is a leap into the unknown. A football club is a complicated blend of interconnected personalities, relationships, egos and processes.
Outside of a few truly elite managers – and even they have exceptions – there are no guarantees.
But what makes this one so fascinating is that it brings together a manager who we know little about outside Bournemouth and a club whose short-term future is so bafflingly uncertain, for reasons good and bad.
You can simultaneously make a case for Howe being a perfect fit that offers answers – he brings players together, he is a hands-on coach, he achieved a miracle at a lesser club than Newcastle – or a clunky one that raises questions – can he spend money wisely? Can he improve the defence? Can anyone truly cope in this bizarro world of infinite wealth and mediocre on-pitch quality?
Good luck to anyone who can confidently predict what happens next. And that includes Newcastle United’s owners and Eddie Howe.
Read Daniel’s full analysis on the appointment here
Post a Comment