The inside track on Eddie Howe – and how the ex-Bournemouth boss is 'too driven and intelligent not to succeed' at Newcastle United
We caught up with Reach’s AFC Bournemouth writer Jacob Tanswell to get the lowdown on Howe’s time at Bournemouth – what can be expected of the 43-year-old:
How do you sum up Eddie Howe’s extraordinary journey at Bournemouth?
JT: “Howe's journey with Bournemouth is arguably one of the best manager/club relationships In British football history. He took over when they were on the brink of liquidation, about to go into the National League and apart from a brief spell at Burnley, continued to achieve lineal success at Bournemouth. It should not be forgotten that he kept a club the size of Bournemouth in the top flight for five years.”
Some Newcastle United fans have reservations following his relegation with Bournemouth. Thoughts on that?
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Hide AdJT: “It surprises me how, essentially, Howe has had one bad season in over a decade in coaching and that was during a pandemic, where the side was decimated by injuries and a feeling the team had come to the end of a cycle. Howe has shown continually how he is one of the most progressive, forward-thinking English coaches in the league, and to see his stock diminish shouldn't detract from the excellent work he's done.”
What can Newcastle United fans expect from Eddie Howe, both tactically and as a human being?
JT: “While they were in the Football League, Bournemouth mostly used a 4-4-1-1 shape, with a striker, like Yan Kermogant, dropping in-between the lines. Things changed In the Premier League and he had brief dalliances with 4-3-3 and 3-4-3 but whenever there was a poor run of form, he would return to his trusted 4-4-1-1 (Josh King and Callum Wilson upfront). As a human being, Howe doesn't enjoy the limelight and the increased press he will get at Newcastle. But on the training pitch, having seen his training sessions, he is a strict, disciplined coach who focuses on getting his attacking patterns of play right, in the precise detail.”
Do you believe Eddie Howe will be a success at Newcastle United, particularly in the short-term with the threat of relegation?
JT: “Firstly, Howe needs to calm the seas at Newcastle and show hints of better football, which he will. Results should subsequently come off the back of it. As long as he gets time and fans resist the temptation of a big name being linked, Howe is too driven and intelligent not to succeed.”
How much will Eddie Howe relish the ambitious project planned at Newcastle United?
JT: “Howe has been waiting for the right job, with the right structure. This isn't exactly the type of job he may have been looking for - something in the ilk of Southampton with lower reputations and players who see this as the next step and are thereby hungry to improve. But this was too big an opportunity to turn down and I'm interested to see how his coaching methods have evolved since he's been away, having visited different coaches in different sports to see what he could adopt.”