I can’t be the only person who finds Newcastle United’s appointment of Eddie Howe a little bit surprising, can I?
Isn’t this supposed to be the richest football club in the world? Aren’t they planning on spending a few billion euros transforming into an all-conquering, all-powerful global force?
If that’s the case, and I am pretty sure that is roughly what it said on the take-over tin, then how does a relatively low-key manager like Howe fit into that equation?
No offence to the young Englishman, who is undoubtedly a talented coach and a good manager. But he is hardly the household name you would have expected to be taking up Newcastle’s gold-plated hot seat.
It’s already going to be hard enough attracting Europe’s top players to Newcastle because most of them are only interested in moving to the places they have heard of, like London, Manchester and Liverpool.
A household name in the coaching position would have alleviated some of the geographical reluctance.
But now potential recruits will be saying “Eddie who?” when the possibility of a move to St James’s Park comes up, meaning the club is going to have to throw even more money in their direction to tempt them over.
Considering this acquisition by the Saudis was years in the making, I would have expected them to have some sort of master plan in place, and an established, well-known manager waiting in the wings to come in and work his magic.
Howe has only ever managed Bournemouth and Burnley before now, so lacks big team experience. And he didn’t even have any of that during his playing career, which was spent entirely in the lower leagues.
But wait, I hear you cry, aren’t you always saying talented, young English managers should be given a chance in the big time?
Well, absolutely. And I think Eddie being given this opportunity at a club where there will be investment and money to spend is truly brilliant. I would love nothing more than for him to take them all the way to the title.
It’s just that I find it a strange, innocuous appointment for a club that has stratospheric ambitions.
I find it a strange, innocuous appointment for a club that has stratospheric ambitions
It could be, of course, that Newcastle’s new owners are planning to do things the right way. Build a team, build a style of play, and build a self-sustaining future that breeds success as by-product. Not buy their way to instant success. If that is the plan then they should be commended, because Eddie Howe is just what they need.
But I fear it is more about panic. After they were rejected by Unai Emery, they must have taken stock, realised they needed urgent help with their relegation fight and opted for the best of the readily available managers.
And on that basis, there is a very good chance that Howe will be used merely to steady the ship and buy the club time to continue the search for the platinum-coated, all-singing, all-dancing manager the new owners must secretly crave.
Or he is being set up as an easy-to-dismiss scapegoat if they go down…
Gerrard moves closer to Anfield
With Premier League managers coming and going on what seems like a daily basis right now, it’s no great surprise that Steven Gerrard has been tempted down south to fill one of the vacancies.
We all knew he wasn’t going to stay at Rangers forever. He is a manager whose growing reputation meant a move to a more competitive league was only ever a matter of time.
Some might feel he has left Scotland too early, that he needed more time learning the ropes at Ibrox before throwing himself into the more cutthroat environment of England’s top-flight.
And in many ways I agree he might well have been better served spending a few more years at Rangers, building more of a legacy and putting some more managerial miles on the clock.
But Aston Villa is a tempting club. They have an expensively assembled team and owners who have a long-term aim to build something special. The fact that Stevie G said yes to Villa when he has probably said quite a few no’s over the past few weeks can only be because he was sold on their vision.
Even so, this remains a bit of a gamble for Gerrard. If he fails at Villa Park, then doubts over how hard it is to be successful in Scotland will once again be raised, and his managerial talents will be called into question.
But if he succeeds then the sky really is the limit, and his next job could be absolutely anywhere he wants, but more than likely at a club whose name has the words ‘pool’ and ‘liver’ in it…
Anyone for Moyes now?
A couple of weeks ago I suggested David Moyes was the person Manchester United needed to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. As expected, the response from fans was not exactly enthusiastic.
I wonder if they may have started to warm to the idea however, in the wake of West Ham United’s thrilling victory over Liverpool last weekend, which took the London club up to third in the table – three places and six points ahead of United.
That 3-2 win means the Hammers have now beaten Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City this season. And that is no joke for a team that isn’t exactly packed with household names.
Some people have even started talking about West Ham as being genuine title contenders this season. While Leicester proved a few seasons ago that you can never say never, I think that is a little unrealistic. West Ham don’t have the strength in depth needed to sustain their run through till May, and a couple of bad injuries to key players could see the wheels come off.
Yet even if that happens, it shouldn’t take away the brilliance of Moyes’ achievements. When he took over the club in December 2019, they were a point off the relegation places and had won only two games in 14. Two years later they are in the Champions League slots, beating the top teams, and all on a net transfer outlay of just £69 million.
I know United fans may feel they need or deserve someone more glamourous. A Klopp, a Conte or a Guardiola. But glamour doesn’t always bring success.
Occasionally grumpy, opinionated, passionate Scotsmen with great man management skills on the other hand…
Twitter: @maltablade