Bluntly, I didn’t think Howe had the chops* for Newcastle but he’s created a tidal wave of euphoria

IT’S not my natural inclination to wax lyrical about managers given they are often presidents of their own fan club, but you have to give as much credit as you can for the job Eddie Howe is doing at Newcastle.

My initial reaction was that it wasn’t an obvious fit. He was Newcastle’s second choice behind Unai Emery and had walked away from taking the Celtic job. At the time I perceived him not to have the stomach for it. I didn’t have high expectations, and to put it bluntly, didn’t think he had the chops to be Newcastle manager.

But he is doing a remarkable job and I don’t believe there’s anyone in English football who would be doing better than Howe is at Newcastle right now.

Not just because he has bought well and galvanised the spirit of the club. Not just because the style of play is something you want to watch. Not just because when they’ve faced adversity with a shortage of players they can overcome it. Not just because when they get bad decisions against them they don’t cry and criticise. Not just because they don’t constantly use bad luck as an excuse for bad outcomes. It’s because of all of those things, it makes him a breath of fresh air.

And what all those things tell you is this guy has character. He’s nobody’s fool and a man of substance. But I concede I didn’t think that substance was as significant as it’s now proving to be.

He is the perfect person, in the perfect job at the perfect time. But you’ve still got to execute successful outcomes. He has changed them overnight — from the darkness of the perceived miserable Mike Ashley regime to this utterly transformed club — and I don’t really see anywhere that he has made a mis-step.

Of course, you can point to the financial might of Newcastle’s owners and human-rights issues to try to diminish what Howe has achieved. But that’s unfair. Firstly, Newcastle are merely spending what most top- six clubs spend and, secondly, it is unreasonable to expect Howe to offer any particular insight about the moral compass, values, motivations and aspirations of the owners. The chief executives and chairman should answer those kind of questions rather than the manager — he is not equipped to do it. Just like Pep Guardiola isn’t equipped to talk about financial fair play obligations that Manchester City have or haven’t complied with.

Perhaps Howe should have developed a slightly better schtick when confronted with such questions but I don’t blame him for sidestepping them because he has nothing to add. And he certainly can’t add his two penn’orth in any shape or form because it will be utilised against him and his relationship with his owners. Is there a right or wrong answer Howe can offer given the fact that to give the right answer he would have to vilify the ownership? So I’m not entirely sure it is Howe’s responsibility in life to adopt moral principles given our own government doesn’t when dealing with the same people who own Newcastle.

HOWE’S focus is and must be the football and right now there’s a euphoria at Newcastle. They are riding a tidal wave of energy and enthusiasm and possess a determination to achieve because, unlike the historical legacy clubs, they don’t yet have a deep- seated entitlement and belief that they should be doing what they are doing.

Howe is a very sensible, rounded, balanced individual who probably benefited from his time managing Bournemouth more than someone who came from a more privileged or esteemed football background. That has stood him in good stead and if you are a Newcastle fan, you can only be proud of what this team is doing.

His interviews after games are solid, sensible and based on constructive observations. There’s no hyperbole, no unnecessary superlatives and he’s not overly emotive. He doesn’t get carried away by winning, or despondent by losing. He is not overly effusive about his players but gives the right amount of praise and his players are on message. That in itself is the art of management.

His players are absolutely at it, on it and across it. Anthony Gordon, who I felt was a bit ahead of himself, is now turning into a player you would have in most teams.

Joelinton and so many others look like different players. They’re getting better and are enhanced in every position and, without wishing to be too gushing, there is very little you can find that isn’t positive.

Everything you saw on Saturday from Howe’s team when they were so impressive beating Manchester United was the polar opposite of what you got from their opponents.

YOU look at this Newcastle team and their performances against PSG, their approach to the Champions League, their performances in the Premier League, the culture of the club and the direction of travel and a significant proportion of that is down to the steady, solid, clearly inspirational leadership of Howe.

I now see a manager on a trajectory that is upward only. I still maintain the view that Howe may not be the ultimate beneficiary of all the good work he has done. That is not a criticism of Howe or my attempt to diminish him but expectation levels are going to change and ambition levels will increase.

Unless you start winning leagues and cups and European trophies, then while he may be a very significant part of Newcastle’s journey to greatness, I’m not sure he will be there to enjoy those successes. Newcastle are building an underlying culture where they will move into the territory of expecting to win — and win big.

That change will come and there will be a time when they will think like that. That is the critical point. Howe has been through every gear change and been right on every one but the spectre of enormous financial power the owners can unleash is always there in the background.

If they really want to dominate — as I suspect they do otherwise what was the point buying the club — then I fear Howe could become a victim as they march towards that goal.

As an Englishman wanting an English manager to achieve in the Premier League, I would be delighted to be proved wrong. I hope he does win them the league, but that would be a significant tectonic shift.

Newcastle are becoming an irresistible force but the immovable objects are the bigger, better, more established clubs and unless we’re going to see a sea change with them, the holy grail may elude Howe. Who knows, if that is the case, the Toon’s loss may be the national side’s gain.

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