Eddie Howe is the type of football manager who can silence a pub with his post-match interviews. Speaking to the media this afternoon, from the clubs preseason training base at Adidas’ training facilities in Germany, the gaffer has certainly set the fanbases tongues wagging with speculation, interpreting his comments to the media.
Let’s examine what he had to say:
In an interview with Sky Sports’ Keith Downie Eddie Howe offered his ‘unwavering commitment’ to the football club, adding:
“As long as I have certain things for me. As in, I’m happy and I’m allowed to work in the way that I feel I need to work to get the best out of me, and that I feel supported. Then that will never change.”
No dramas here. The boss clearly stating that for him to be able to perform at his best he needs certain working conditions to be met.
“There’s been so much change that I think we need a period of time to set the boundaries and get to know how we are all going to work. For the benefit of Newcastle, not for the benefit of me. The club is the most important thing in all of this. It’s all about Newcastle United.”
Based on these comments Howe is outlining his own boundaries, clearly and publicly stating that there are certain assurances that he wants from those newly appointed above him about how his role of Head Coach fits into the new structure. He wants to test the new working relationships out.
Eddie has had numerous responsibilities in his three years on Tyneside – acting as essentially a de facto Sporting Director in his first transfer window thru to a Head Coach daily – so structural changes above him will undoubtedly have an impact on how he works.
“England isn’t important at all. Nothing will ever unsettle me from my job. I’m tunnel vision and have been all summer. And that will continue.”
I.e. The FA can look elsewhere. And Eddie recommits to the club for the second time.
“It’s all about Newcastle United — I’m so proud to be manager. I feel I have such a special relationship with the fans, and I’m fiercely determined to win a trophy for them. I hope we are able to achieve our objectives together.”
Looking at the comments positively, Eddie is clearly happy to stay at Newcastle and reject any advances England make if the dynamics within the club still work for him in the new structure and he is backed in the transfer market. Additionally, Howe has looked positive in the myriad photos the club have posted from the preseason training camp, and Paul Mitchell has stated in his recent interview that he is keen to work with the manager.
On the flipside, in an interview with BBC Newcastle, the gaffer cut a very different figure, with slightly negative body language he said:
“As long as I am happy, and feel supported, and feel free to do the work that I love to do at Newcastle, I’ll be very happy – and I am very happy.”
Further quotes coming from a Daily Mail article have Howe advising:
“I absolutely want to stay but it has to be right for me and the football club. There’s absolutely no point in me saying I’m happy staying at Newcastle if the dynamic isn’t right. I’m certainly not serving Newcastle well if I do that.”
Eddie’s comments here are clearly more cautious and when you listen to the interviews his tone and body language are certainly open to interpretation. Latterly, in the Daily Mail article, Eddie adds:
“We’re in a flux of change… I can’t say with a definitive answer where that will lead… The transfer window is absolutely massive. That’s no criticism of anyone who has come in.”
There are some fascinating comments from the boss in the Mail article and I would highly encourage you to read the whole piece and make up your own mind regarding Eddie’s comments.
What is clear is that Eddie is committed to the job, if he receives certain assurances and conditions are met, but those clearly haven’t been established yet with all the working relationships being so new. Paul Mitchell and James Bunce have only been in position for a week and the England job is certainly a spectre hovering too with all the media links.
Eddie talks about being ‘all in’ as the only way he knows how to work, and we have seen that in his three years at the club. His comments paint him as a man who is equally trepidatious as he is emotionally invested in Newcastle United, someone who wants to win a trophy for the fans but perhaps, now, he can’t quite see how he does that.
From a fans point of view, with the obvious weaknesses in the squad (RW and RCB) still not fixed at this late point in the summer, and with potentially £100million+ to be spent on some big signings in the transfer market, if Eddie Howe was to walk away it would rock the squad and the fanbase to the core.
Ultimately, clarity is needed immediately, as season 2024-25 is huge as Newcastle look to get back into Europe and hopefully end our long, painful wait for some domestic silverware
Given the speed the FA is reknown for, they will probably start to draw up the short list of managers when they return from their Christmas holidays.
PremAndUp(Quote)
Yep and they’ll probably start that shortlist with Gareth Southgate atop and beg him to come back for money.
Not a shot at Southgate, just at the fa. Knowing this was highly likely his last tournament, how was this not already planned for? How the shortlist not already exist?
Maybe it does, but history would suggest that’s unlikely.
Toonali87(Quote)
Good article and agree with the majority of it.
I personally think his biggest beef was losing 2 players to the PSR situation
Porkpie(Quote)
The arrival of new folk at the top and Amanda going has created uncertainty which should have been dealt with before the changes … on the other side if the club feel the changes are for the best and if Eddie don’t like then he should go… plenty of more experienced managers and winners to choose from .. in some ways it’s annoying that Howe has destabilised pre season with his “happy” comments .. selfish and egotistical .. he is not a guru and took the club backwards last season .. he was after all 2 nd choice behind Emery . He should remember that
Mike(Quote)
We’ll start with a question. When the press ask “are you interested in the England job, and are you happy at Newcastle?” what would you really expect him to say? “Yes, I want the job and screw Newcastle”?
Well that’s not going to happen, is it? He’s always going to give the politically correct answer that keeps his current job nice and safe.
“Howe”- ever. The man is a motivator, as shown by the improvements we’ve seen over the last couple of seasons in players who previously were decidedly average. Motivators are good for 18 months to 2 years then players performances drop off. For this reason he might want to consider taking the England job while his stock is still high. This time next year all of his good work could be forgotten.
What he has done, though, is throw down the gauntlet to Mitchell, saying “stay out of my office”, while obviously leaving the door open to accepting the England job, which he could blame on Mitchell’s interference.
He’s going to get his wings clipped because he was probably doing stuff that Mr and Mrs Staveley were supposed to be doing, that will now quite rightly fall under Mitchell’s remit.
As long as Mitchell plays it wise and doesn’t do a Wise there should be no problem, however – if Eddies starts bitchin’ and heads off to do the England job then we know he was just leaving the door open.
Personally I think he’s served his purpose and we need someone with a few more clubs in the bag.
BykerBill(Quote)