In the same TalkSPORT clip where Bent went on to compare Bruno and Ben Arfa, Darren Bent backed Newcastle for a top 6 finish but said they wouldn’t break into the top four.
He was then asked if Eddie Howe is an “elite” manager to which he replied: “of course not”.
It was a very definitive statement from the former Sunderland man, but you know what? I actually agree with what he said. In Bent’s metric of what makes a manager “elite”, they have to be operating at the highest level, consistently and picking up trophies along the way. Bent states that he doesn’t feel Pochettino is elite level either. So I absolutely can see what he means.
That being said, I do believe Howe has what it takes to break into that tier, and hopefully, he will do that with Newcastle.
The obvious metric to judge Howe on is the fact that when he took over we were 19th in the league without a win and we finished that season in 11th, defying all the odds. We are riding high in the form league since Howe took over and are sitting 6th in the Premier League.
Is Howe "Elite"?
Not yet
Yes!
But for me, the real magic that Howe has brought to Newcastle is the improvement in the players we all wanted to see the back of. Joelinton is now verging on world-class, Almiron is finding the net on a consistent basis. Jacob Murphy and Sean Longstaff are finding more confidence and ability week in and week out. Howe has raised the game of so many players and only an elite coach can do that for so many players.
Yes, you can get a coach who comes in and finds a way to bring the best out of one or two players when they arrive, but there’s literally not a single player in Newcastle’s squad that hasn’t improved since Howe and his team came into the club. That makes him pretty elite to me.
****Vital Newcastle are looking to recruit a new writer for the site. If you are a fan of the club and can commit to writing 3—5 articles at least 4 days per week then we would love to hear from you. Mail paddy@snack-media.com for more information****