In a fascinating piece in The Athletic, Alan Shearer has spoken to Eddie Howe about all-things Newcastle, and as a Magpie, it’s a very inspiring read that should get the blood pumping and instil the belief that has long been missing from our hearts.
Howe said “I’m not in it to be popular or anyone’s second team, I’m in it to try to win, to create a culture and environment where we don’t accept anything other than winning. To do that, you can’t be labelled nice or soft touches and that means doing everything to get that win. At times, that might be unpopular with opposing teams, opposing supporters, referees.”
That’s the kind of thing we’ve been wanting to hear for years. Too many of our previous managers, especially the last one, spent too much time praising our opposition and downplaying our potential. It’s fantastic to see that we now have a manager that is hell-bent on upsetting the status quo.
Is Eddie Howe The Man To Lead Us To Glory?
Absolutely
No
Last week in his pre-match press conference, Eddie Howe alluded to a feeling of “us versus them” when it comes to other clubs, and in his interview with Shearer, he has expanded more on that, saying by saying that was something he wanted the team to feel. Howe said “That feeling of us against everyone else. I’m trying to create that internally, but I don’t think we’re having to force it. It’s something we can feel in Newcastle. There are a lot of people who want to knock us and criticise us and probably don’t want us to be successful. We’ve got to embrace that.”
Lots more is covered in the article, such as Howe admitting that he’s not “Nice Guy Eddie” any more, and has developed a much harder personality when it comes to decision making and getting what he wants out of the players, and then going on to admit that he has fallen in love with the area and the people.
Some eyebrows were raised when Newcastle appointed Eddie Howe, but seeing what he has already done for the club, and reading his chat with club legend Alan Shearer, there is no doubt in my mind (not that there ever was) that Newcastle have got the right man for the job.
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