Newcastle United have confirmed the appointment of Eddie Howe as their new manager on a two-and-a-half year deal.
The club finally made the decision to appoint the former Bournemouth boss after the dismissal of Steve Bruce last month following a run of poor results.
A number of candidates including Jose Mourinho, Unai Emery, Antonio Conte, Paulo Fonseca and Roberto Martinez were in the running to be appointed as the Newcastle manager but the club finally zeroed down on Howe.
Speaking to the Newcastle official website, Howe said he was proud to be given the opportunity:
“It is a great honour to become head coach of a club with the stature and history of Newcastle United. It is a very proud day for me and my family.”
Newcastle co-owner Amanda Staveley had high praise for the new manager: “We have been incredibly impressed by Eddie through what has been a rigorous recruitment process.
“As well as his obvious achievements with AFC Bournemouth, where he had a transformational impact, he is a passionate and dynamic coach who has clear ideas about taking this team and club forward.”
Challenges Howe Faces As Manager
Newcastle have struggled in the Premier League this season. They are yet to win a single match and have only managed five draws in 11 games (D5 L6).
Their poor form could largely be attributed to their defensive porosity which has seen them concede 24 goals, with only bottom of the table Norwich conceding more (26).
It is safe to say Howe would have a lot to do as manager if he hopes to turn things around at Newcastle.
Newcastle Appointing Howe As Manager Shows Ambition
With the recent take-over of the club by the Saudi Investment Fund, the new owners have ambitions of changing the fortunes of the club and turning them into competitors on several fronts.
However, one may argue that a change of that magnitude cannot happen just like that and may probably take years to get to fruition.
It would take more than a change of coach but it is indeed a step in the right direction given the experience Howe has.
Howe is best known for his stint with Bournemouth. He was appointed by Bournemouth on a permanent basis in 2009 and oversaw the club’s rise from the fourth tier to the Premier League in 2015.
Howe kept the Cherries in the top-flight for five seasons, but stepped down as manager in 2020 after the club was relegated back into the Championship.
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