Howe works on Newcastle morale with pub trip
Eddie Howe arranged his first away trip as Newcastle United manager yesterday – with a staff-bonding session at the pub.
Howe, appointed as manager this week, took his backroom team, including first-team coach Graeme Jones, to Three Mile, which describes itself as “a stunning gastropub”, in Gosforth on the outskirts of the city after training.
The former Bournemouth manager, 43, has moved quickly to build morale at the club, who lie 19th in the Premier League. Howe spent time one-on-one with staff, who ate and drank during the afternoon gettogether. He was then thought to have headed to St James’ Park for a further look at where his Newcastle career will start against Brentford a week tomorrow.
Jason Tindall, Stephen Purches, Simon Weatherstone and Dan Hodges were confirmed as Howe’s backroom staff and Jones has stayed on after being appointed caretaker manager following Steve Bruce’s dismissal.
Players not on international duty trained earlier in the day before staff broke away for their meet-and-greet as they plot a way out of relegation trouble and attempt to keep the new owners in the top flight this season.
Amanda Staveley, who owns a stake in the club and facilitated the takeover by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, told NUFC TV: “We had to have someone leading the club who is not frightened of relegation”.
She added: “It would have been an easy decision not to buy the club yet, wait to post-christmas, or postjanuary transfer window to see where the club sat. That would have been a safer investment bet. We didn’t do that. If we didn’t get it now, it wasn’t going to happen.
“We had to take that risk, and we felt we took a risk because the club was in 19th. Eddie took that risk with us because there is always a chance of relegation. I think he will do the most incredible job.”