Eddie Howe has thrived at Newcastle, overcoming early doubts that the club would be too big for him. Photo: Alex Grimm/Getty Images < p>Eddie Howe succeeded where many had failed at Newcastle United due to his reclusive lifestyle, natural aversion to the limelight and unwillingness to be swayed by outside noise or opinion.
This is remarkable, all things considered. This has been the case at Newcastle United since his appointment in November 2021, after first choice Unai Emery turned him down and people began to whisper that the job would be too big, too demanding and too scrutinized for Howe to handle.
According to the theory, it was not designed to withstand such pressure. He was a manager who succeeded at a small club like Bournemouth, which he managed and controlled without any interference. It was away from the public eye and the media. Howe felt comfortable and successful in his familiar (he also played for the club) environment.
Newcastle was completely different, and rightly so. But people misunderstood Hou's character and personality. He is not charismatic, sparkling or exciting, but he has a clear mind, keen concentration, football intelligence and empathy. He is in charge, but shows it in a gentle rather than dictatorial manner.
Howe returns to Bournemouth, where it all began for him, in Saturday evening. Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire
He admits to himself that he is «boring,» but that doesn't mean he isn't good company for those who know him. Fine. What Howe does, intentionally or not, is keep those hidden from the public and the media. Such is Howe's dedication to his work, his single-minded thinking and complete passion for all things football. that there is nothing in his life except his family.
His working day is long and monotonous, starting at 6 a.m. and ending at 10 p.m. This is a constant cycle of training, meetings and analysis of the team and the upcoming opponent.
The former central defender does not interfere in life. football mugs. He doesn't have many friends in the game (or outside of it) and doesn't make new ones easily.
It's vital that for a club like Newcastle, where everyone in town has an opinion about events at St James's Park, Howe, who turns 46 this month, listens to no one outside his inner circle.
It's a close-knit group on the training ground, including his long-time assistant Jason Tindall, his nephew and chief scout Andy Howe, and first-team coaches Graham Jones and Stephen Purches, his trusted lieutenants.
Howe has known Jason Tindall for 30 years, but has no contact with his regular assistant. Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images
Sporting director Dan Ashworth is a respected ally and co-owner Amanda Staveley is a strong source of emotional support, but their relationship is more work-related than friendly.
But more than that, Hou's lifestyle is very secluded. that he almost deliberately shuts himself off from the world beyond his control, including his opinions, in order to focus all his energy and thoughts on football management. He's selfish and hard to get close to in that regard, but it's unforgivable.
In a recent conversation with one of Howe's closest Tyneside associates, Telegraph Sport was told that Howe had only gone shopping in Newcastle city center once in a while. 24 months.
When he goes out with his children, he wears a disguise and wears glasses and many different hats. He even wore coats on a hot June day to take them to the Hoppings Town Fair to try to keep public attention to a minimum.
He doesn't eat out very often and once took his wife out to lunch at a remote garden center precisely so that they would not be recognized. They say it worked and they've since been back.
Most of his nightly activity consisted of the occasional lunch on the seafront, and apart from a conversation with Kevin Keegan last month, Howe did nothing. public speaking, except for official events of a club or foundation.
Eddie Howe meets Kevin Keegan for the first time at @PeteGravesTV's Here to Compete book launch 📚
Howe: «I just had to come and meet King Kev…» 👑
Jokingly, Keegan retorts: “Advice? Don't sell your best player and don't go down the steps to talk to the fans! Just close the door…»#NUFC pic.twitter.com/7c9TBxkiaw
— Keith Downey (@SkySports_Keith) October 23, 2023
Given they've known each other for 30 years, it's a little strange that Howe isn't communicates with Tindall. They don't even call each other friends, but nevertheless they share an unbreakable bond.
A recluse, obsessed with his job and uninterested in anything that happens outside of it, Howe is the «gray man» who brought color to Newcastle United's style and approach.
A personality that people considered a weakness, along with with his tactics and coaching acumen, this was perhaps his greatest strength.
Indeed, if it can be argued that no manager has had a greater positive impact on a football club over 10 or 11 games than With Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham this season, no manager has done more to transform the football club in recent memory. the team is two years older than Howe's at Newcastle.
In case you need a reminder, Howe inherited a team that was second from bottom in the Premier League and didn't win. Within 18 months he had qualified for the Champions League and led Newcastle to their first domestic cup final since 1999.
This season, despite a serious list of injuries and a 10-month ban imposed on star summer player Sandro Tonali for breaking betting rules, Newcastle beat Paris Saint-Germain 4–1, eliminated Manchester City and Manchester United are out of the League Cup and are sixth in the table, four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, who inflicted their first defeat of the season on Mikel Arteta's side last weekend.
People who want to refute the above above statement, they will say that he had more money. than most to rebuild the team, and there is no doubt that the £400 million spent on new players over four transfer windows has helped, but many other managers have received the same, if not more, in the last 12 months.< /p>
It's also worth reiterating that five of the players who started this week's Champions League defeat to Borussia Dortmund were at the club when Howe took over. He improved them with coaching, not money.
Howe will mark his second anniversary with a trip to his former club Bournemouth this weekend. A reminder of where he came from and where he made his name, it was his achievements at Newcastle that saw him recognized as one of England's best managers.
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