It was a bad day for Newcastle United fans yesterday as Rafa Benitez's reign at the club came to an end. But now it will probably be bad news for another club as Mike Ashley looks to grab a proven manager in the Premier League. While Gary Monk and Jose Mourinho are the leading contenders, Bet888 make Eddie Howe a 9-1 shot for the vacant position, while the BBC had Howe as second favourite in the first few hours after the announcement that Benitez was leaving.
There will come a time when Howe does look at a new challenge. We may or may not like that when it comes, and even now some might consider that Howe is keeping AFCB afloat in the Premier League, but hasn't managed to build the club into a consistent top 10 side. If that is success for AFCB then Howe is on the verge of repeating a top 10 finish, but keeping there is not easy. What he does have is the backing of the board and owner at AFCB which is half the battle for a manager.
Whoever steps into the Newcastle job will have to work with the notoriously difficult Mike Ashley and the availability of funds for transfers looks doubtful considering that Benitez couldn't get his hands on any money. So AFCB fans can expect Howe to slip further down the prospects for the Newcastle job. To me it says that there aren't many managers that haven't got a damaged record, but Chris Hughton would be my bet for a return to the Toon.
Eddie Howe is one of the favourites with the bookies for Newcastle job. |
I was surprised to even hear that Howe was on any of the Betting boards for the Newcastle job. I have to say that Newcastle is a big club and for Howe it would be great for his CV if he moved there and did well, but Eddie has not had the best of seasons and there are several other candidates who should be well ahead of him for consideration.
There will come a time when Howe does look at a new challenge. We may or may not like that when it comes, and even now some might consider that Howe is keeping AFCB afloat in the Premier League, but hasn't managed to build the club into a consistent top 10 side. If that is success for AFCB then Howe is on the verge of repeating a top 10 finish, but keeping there is not easy. What he does have is the backing of the board and owner at AFCB which is half the battle for a manager.
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...can't really see Eddie going there but it is a massive club and in the interests of his pathway to a possible England job he does need to prove that he can handle real pressure?
ReplyDeleteIs the England job the pinnacle of a managers career? Great privilege but not a measure of success. Eddie is young and talented he has more important goals to achieve before he needs to get there and Newcastle is not one that fits any of these plans
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