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Eddie Howe: An Uphill Battle To Keep Newcastle Up

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Eddie Howe

Can Eddie Howe keep Newcastle up?

 

Eddie Howe: An Uphill Battle To Keep Newcastle Up

Optimism had seemingly returned to St James Park, with news of a new money-rich regime coming into Tyneside. Alongside Mike Ashley’s era finally ending, the slog of Steve Bruce as Magpies manager also concluded. Step forward a new and optimistic time to be a Newcastle fan, success imminent.

Eddie Howe was appointed soon after Steve Bruce was put out of his misery, the former Bournemouth manager out of the game for some time before being persuaded to join Newcastle. Is he the right man for the colossal task of rejuvenating a sorry Magpies side? Did The Magpies miss out on a bigger target such as Fonseca before making do with the former Cherries boss?

Still without a victory all season, the current Premier League table makes for bleak reading for anyone associated with Tyneside. The only team still without a win in the major English football pyramid, the distraction of Saudi millionaires cannot gloss over the insurmountable position The Magpies find themselves in. With six points accumulated all season, Newcastle find themselves six points adrift of 17th.

Watching his first official game in charge at the weekend, it’s clear to see that Howe has lots of work to do to transform a struggling Newcastle side. Newcastle battled well in the first half to keep a young Arsenal side out, but with only 34% of the ball all afternoon, they could only batten down the hatches for so long. Lacking an attacking spark up top – Jonjo Shelvey testing Aaron Ramsdale with a speculative effort here or there – the ball kept finding its way back to Arteta’s improved Gunners.

Arsenal’s first of the contest will remind Howe of the almighty task he has in improving the worst defence in the division, 29 conceded with only 13 played. Switching off at the back, Jamaal Lascelles gave Bukayo Saka all the room in the world to slot past Martin Dubravka. Standing off The Gunners, Newcastle’s defence had been exposed once more. A ball over the top would evade The Magpies for Arsenal’s game-clinching second, Gabriel Martinelli taking it on the volley for 2-0.

Eddie Howe complained at decisions going against his Toon side in his post-match press conference at The Emirates, aggrieved at no penalty being given after Callum Wilson was taken out by Nuno Tavares in the Arsenal box. Even if Newcastle were to be given a fortuitous penalty, Arsenal always looked like worthy winners in this Premier League clash.

Yet, there are some encouraging signs that work in Howe’s favour. The next two games are favourable for his Newcastle side, fellow Premier League strugglers Norwich and Burnley travelling to St James’ Park. It is crucial for The Magpies to get a win from either of these fixtures, dreamland if they were to secure two wins from two to get the ball rolling. Newcastle showed signs of their attacking intent in their last home game with Brentford, scoring three goals but still having to make do with a point. Eradicate silly defensive errors, and they could well taste victory for the first time this season and give Eddie Howe a boost.

Watching over clips of Eddie Howe taking Newcastle training, it’s clear to see that he’s trying to leave an imprint on his Newcastle players. Trying to conjure up an identity, a philosophy that had been sorely missing under Steve Bruce. At Bournemouth, the ex Cherries manager opted for a possession-based game with the attack favoured over defence. This might well be counter-intuitive for a relegation battle, the Magpies needing to strengthen defensively. Entertainment might well return, but is this a philosophy you want to follow when you’re rooted at the foot of the Premier League?

Outlandish transfer rumours will also give Newcastle supporters cause to be optimistic, Eddie Howe having to make do with some failing players before buying fresh blood in January. With Ousmane Dembele rumoured – the tricky Barcelona winger not too dissimilar to that of current Magpie Allan Saint-Maximin – expect a few exciting faces to revitalise Newcastle at the start of 2022. James Tarkowski remains another name constantly linked with a move to the Toon, a smarter buy with the Burnley centre-back a battling defender by trade.

The squad Eddie Howe has to work with has some familiar faces within it from his Bournemouth days – Matt Ritchie, Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser all former players under Howe’s lengthy reign down in Dorset. Managing to keep the Cherries up time after time, before relegation saw Howe leave, these are players used to the demands of the now new Newcastle head coach. They should want to succeed under him, a hunger to turn this dire situation around.

Will Eddie Howe keep Newcastle up? Regardless of a feel-good factor returning to St James Park with the depressing old being replaced with an optimistic new, their current league standing brings back a familiar feeling of doom. After those two home clashes with Norwich and Burnley, the winter fixture list isn’t kind. Manchester City and Manchester United come to St James Park before the close of December, the Magpies also travelling to Anfield beforehand. Safe to say, it looks an uphill battle from here on in for Eddie Howe.

 

We hope you enjoyed the article ‘Eddie Howe: An Uphill Battle To Keep Newcastle Up.’ Do you think Howe can save Newcastle for relegation this season? Let us know!

 

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