Eddie’s failure as a player left ‘obsessed’ man
MAGPIES SOLD ON HIS WILL TO WIN
EDDIE HOWE will demand Newcastle chase “success on an obsessive level” as his blueprint for turning Newcastle into winners was revealed.
The new Toon boss will introduce a series of key principles at St James’ Park to help the squad thrive on the pressure of their relegation battle.
Howe has spent research time with Brendan Rodgers, talking tactics and management skills, and also travelled Europe visiting leading figures such as Maurizio Sarri, the former Chelsea and now Lazio boss, to pick up new ideas.
He will inherit a team yet to win this season and five points adrift from safety, with a nightmare December fixture list ahead but three winnable home games in the next four matches. The workaholic 43-year-old has done detailed work on Newcastle and outlined during a Zoom interview with the club’s owners how they can be improved.
The central midfield, centre-back and full-back areas are priority. He would like to mould a team where “attack is the best form of defence,” who “attack hard and entertain”.
There will be a no-moaning edict, with players and staff urged to be smart to find ways around
We fought against the world, the unfairness
problems. He will hold one-to-one talks with all his players.
There are nine games until Newcastle can spend in January to strengthen a demoralised squad, but Howe said part of his coaching philosophy learned from his early days at Bournemouth still guides him. He has remained in touch with Callum Wilson, the striker Toon signed from Bournemouth when they were relegated. He has also worked with Matt Ritchie and Ryan Fraser.
Howe said: “The key to the job is getting the best out of what you have in the here and now. You can moan about transfer budgets or facilities or whatever the obstacle, but you can find a way to get around those things if you’re smart in what you do.
“That built my mindset of being on the training pitch every day, and the last off it. Working with players on a one-to-one basis and getting to really know them. Understand their games, their strengths and weaknesses and try to improve them.
“That has never changed to this day. I felt my playing career was short of the true success that I
craved. I looked at things pessimistically because things had always gone wrong in my playing career. That fuelled me to chase success on an obsessive level [as a manager].”
He built his coaching career from the bottom. He started by doing a scouting report for Kevin Bond at Bournemouth. He watched and learned from Bond, was in charge of the academy kids aged 8-16 before landing his break as manager of the Cherries in 2008.
He said of that time: “It was a roller-coaster. It was about getting players to fight for an objective and a goal. To have a point to prove.
“We fought against the football world, the unfairness of our situation. That brought togetherness.”
It remains in doubt whether he can turn Newcastle into a stylish, front-foot team like he did the Cherries, but that’s the aim.
“Full-backs are always a key thing to our style of play,” he said. “We try to attack and be positive. We take the game to the opposition and never sacrifice our principles. You need the goodwill of the crowd. I never believe in limitations.”