Steve Bruce was on a warpath. “It is absolutely the biggest pile of shite I have ever heard,” the Newcastle UnitedThe head coach added a layer of characteristic indiscretion. It was January 2021, and his team was in the midst an unbeaten run that eventually stretched to 11 matches. Tyneside was bubbling over with rumours; Bruce only had three matches to save his job. Eddie HoweAmong the candidates to succeed him was
Bruce sat down and read one book. “I give respect,” he said. “When I see polls, the next manager and the fella from BournemouthIt is disrespectful and I must tell you. Your paper was gunning for a manager that got a team relegated last year.” The reality of Mike Ashley’s ownership and its glass ceiling was hitting home. “Am I alone with the managers at Newcastle over the last 15 years? Hasn’t every manager been in exactly the same situation?” Bruce asked.
Bruce was angry — Newcastle was an angry place back then, everybody barricaded into opposing camps and sniping at each other — but it was an interesting definition of giving respect. “The fella from Bournemouth” and “a manager that got a team relegated last year,” felt dismissive of Howe, who had done nothing wrong, and needlessly belittling, a sour interpretation of a lifetime’s relationship and years of overachievement.
Bruce found it disrespectful when other managers were linked with his job (Photo: Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
But when Bruce was succeeded by Howe, 10 months later those words were indicative of wider concerns. Was “the fella from Bournemouth” really cut out for a flailing leviathan like Newcastle, That could only make it feel even more after the takeover. And was “a manager that got a team relegated last year” the right man for another relegation battle? When Howe ended his introductory press conference with a plea for journalists “not to speculate too much”, a voice piped up, “good luck with that.”
We all know what will happen next, thank goodness.. Howe’s fit with Newcastle proved seamless, his dedication and eye for detail were a necessary antidote to years of drift and, Market backedHe led the team to safety and repaired broken relationships along the journey. Records were obliterated and some myths shattered; supposedly one of football’s great fundamentalists, Howe built his side from the back. They were as tough as any other thing.
Newcastle host Bournemouth this weekend, Howe’s first encounter with the club he played for and then reshaped, leading them through the divisions, since leaving. “To put it quite bluntly, he has made Bournemouth what they are today,” says Charlie Daniels, the former defender who rose up from League OneThe Premier LeagueWith Howe. “The structure, how the club is run, the philosophy they have and the type of club they want to be, that’s all down to him. That’s why he’s seen by some fans as an almost god-like figure.”
Ahead of what will be a poignant reunion, it feels a natural moment for reflection, not only about Howe’s legacy there, but the way football pigeon-holes and stereotypes.
Alan Shearer’s recent interviewHowe was asked questions about his perceptions of being portrayed as the man who brought Bournemouth down in 2020. “I’d be lying if I said it didn’t irritate me, even just hearing the word relegation … It lived with me from the minute it happened and it still lives with me now,” he said. “Because it’s factual.
“Over time, I wouldn’t say I’ve learned to accept it, but I look back at Bournemouth with maybe an overview rather than just that last year. However, I believe that I have learned so much from that year. Even though there were setbacks, disappointments, setbacks, or failures, it is possible to look at them right and make the best of it. That’s what I tried to do, ultimately. It was about returning to a better place. I didn’t want to come back the same manager.”
A quick overview will tell you Howe started his stint in management at Bournemouth, in the relegation zone. League TwoIt was an upswing that continued until they were in the Premier League for five consecutive years. You don’t do that without strength and sharp elbows, without knowing how to win. “We’ve always been pragmatic and always tried to find a way,” Howe said. “Maybe it just gets highlighted a bit more being here.”
Is it possible that the game got Bournemouth’s guy all wrong or is he simply different from everyone else? What was the cost?
As Howe told Shearer, “I’m probably not as nice as I was” and “football does change you.” Perhaps most managers start with an idealised concept of how they want to play and behave, things which can be eroded by the reality of their players, limitations, events, compromises and the need for results, to take hard decisions.
But the idea that Bournemouth, under Howe, was paradise for happy-clappy soccer was not entirely accurate. And, while he hopes to “try and recapture” the essence of Kevin Keegan’s ‘Entertainers’ at Newcastle, Howe wants his side to retain the edge This has made it so difficult for them to play against.
Howe has what he terms his “footballing principles” and A desire to present an aggressive style is the overarching goal, but he also demands that his players carry out the “fundamentals”. He believes these basics are the foundation of everything else.
“In the Championship, we got heavily beaten by Huddersfield Watford,” Simon Francis, the former defender who played for Bournemouth between 2011 and 2020, Submitted The AthleticLast year. “We were beaten physically. We thought we could turn up and just play nice, passing football and the tempo wasn’t there, the intensity wasn’t there. That was probably the first time I saw a different side to him because he realised, and he let us know, that it’s not just about that pretty side of football.
“First thing we did on a Monday morning, as boring as it was, we were defending crosses as a back four. We were the ones who headed the ball. You wouldn’t necessarily put that alongside a successful Bournemouth team but it was, it became that, because we knew we had to do that to get out of the Championship.”
Howe is uncompromising in his pursuit of a winning mentality. He was always that way.
Photos of his post-victory dressing roomAlthough they may have caused much controversy on Tyneside’s side, they were an integral part of the south coast’s culture. Howe would prefer that the photos remain private as they were at Bournemouth for most of their time. Their purpose was to promote a winning mindset.
Those who have worked with Howe at Bournemouth and Newcastle cite how “ridiculously intense” and “competitive” his training sessions are — and always have been. The “we train as we play” motto Howe has adopted at Benton was also present at Bournemouth, with “trainer of the month” awards handed out and points given to those who were on the winning side in individual drills. It is unacceptable to let standards slip.
Francis Howe was the one who built Bournemouth into what it is today. (Photo: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images
“The level of intensity in training is very, very high,” Daniels says. “I was fortunate enough to be with him for so long, but when new players came into the club, it used to take them a good two weeks to get used to the way we trained. This is what he expects. There are no shortcuts and no exceptions.”
“He’s got a definite way that he wants to work,” a former player, who wished to remain anonymous to protect their relationship, Submitted The AthleticLast year. “If you imagine us as a squad of robots and he puts this kind of chip into you. If you follow the programme that he wants you to follow, he’ll back you to the hilt. He’ll quickly push you to your side and kick you out of the club if you do something wrong. His way has been planned and developed over hours, weeks, and even months. It’s not something he just came up with while having his breakfast.”
In Austria during pre-seasonHowe stopped the session in front of the media to criticize his Newcastle squad for not having enough energy. “If you’re lethargic and don’t work as a team, you’ll get fuck all!” he told them. The drill was restarted immediately after which there was an immediate increase in activity.
Jurgen Klopp’s complaints about Newcastle’s “timewasting” at Anfield last month are nothing new, either. Although Howe’s Bournemouth team were renowned for pretty football, those who were at Dean Court with Howe recall similar gamesmanship. When necessary, they would show what some at Bournemouth referred to as their “shithousery side”.
In Jason Tindall, his long-term assistant, Howe also has what a director at a rival Premier League club refers to as his “resident wind-up merchant” alongside him on the touchline.
Both were teammates in Bournemouth’s playing days. Before joining as a coaching team, the pair became close friends. While Howe exudes calm and passes on instructions from his technical area to his players, Tindall frequently questions the fourth official and is known to engage in heated discussions with opposition backroom staff. During Newcastle’s opening-day victory over Nottingham ForestTindall appeared to also listen to opposition coaches staff during discussions about a substitution. After that, Howe turned to Tindall and apparently relayed the tactical change.
Tindall was reunited at Newcastle with Howe (Photo by Joe Prior/Visionhaus via Getty Images).
“He will do whatever it takes to win and, if it means going somewhere difficult like Anfield and slowing it down and timewasting to quieten the opposition crowd, or quickening the game up to make it hostile at home, he’ll do it.” says Daniels. “He won’t go somewhere and roll over just because that’s what Klopp or Pep Guardiola want him to do. He is driven by winning and he’ll use every trick necessary to achieve that. He thought about those small margins meticulously.”
There is also nuance to the “nice guy Eddie” persona that built, at least to those outside of the Bournemouth bubble, during his time at Dean Court. “There’s definitely two sides to him,” says Daniels.
Those who worked with him there insist Howe was not an “arsehole” who would come across as clubbable in public and then suddenly switch into a different personality behind the scenes. Rather, Howe had an “aura” about him that, when he walked into a room, made everyone respect and recognise: “I’m in charge”.
“The baby-faced, impeccable public-facing speaker is who Eddie is,” says a former Bournemouth colleague, who agreed to speak anonymously to protect his position. “But he was still the opposite of a walkover privately. He was the boss and no one was in any uncertain terms about that, even if he has a great manner about him.”
“The way he is with the media and the way he is on the training pitch, it’s totally different,” Daniels says. “In press conferences, he’s composed and knowledgeable about what he’s going to say, but also very relaxed. On the training pitch, he’s composed and knowledgeable about what he wants you to do and why, but he’s very intense and he’s extremely demanding. You know you have to deliver, otherwise he’ll tell you in no uncertain terms and you won’t play come the weekend.”
One of the common accusations against Howe, especially at Bournemouth is that he uses his friends. Tindall, Stephen Purches, and Simon Weatherstone were his former team-mates. Dan Hodges and Andy Howe, his nephew, were among the three who followed him to Tyneside. Mark Leyland was the coach analyst who joined Newcastle from Liverpool.
Purches (right), is a former teammate of Howe. (Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images).
Some critics suggested it was “jobs for the boys” at Bournemouth. But the former colleague disputes that, stressing that while Howe does cherish “familiarity”, that “boils down to people he knows he can trust” and nothing to do with nepotism. “If people weren’t up to scratch, they were told in no uncertain terms and they simply wouldn’t get jobs with him in the first place.”
The ex-player agreed. “You can’t have any passengers,” he said. “He doesn’t ever make you think that you are there because you’re his friend as a player. You’re there because you can do a job for him.”
Following Newcastle’s limp FA Cup exit to Cambridge United of League One in January, Howe admitted his players would see a “different” side to him. Although he prefers the carrot-to-the stick approach, he will confront any player who has fallen below the expected behaviour or performance at Bournemouth.
“I think a lot of people see him and he has this look of a young school teacher,” the former player said. “But if you were to overstep the mark, you definitely see a different Eddie Howe. Go out of line, he’ll let you know about it. And you probably get one warning and then you’ll be out of the football club.”
Bournemouth manager Howe was a quick refresher when he took over in 2008. Dean Court suggests that he also moved many of his former team-mates to help him shift the club’s culture from one of old-school, professionalism towards a modern, driven, professional one.
He doesn’t let emotion cloud his judgment.
Club legend Marc Pugh was not offered a new contract in 2019 after nine years with Bournemouth, going back to Howe’s first spell in charge when they were first promoted from the fourth division, because it was not felt he could contribute as meaningfully at first-team level anymore. The promotion side at Newcastle has stalwarts like Marc Pugh. Isaac Hayden, Ciaran Clark Dwight GayleHad been moved on.
It is important to note that, while Howe does not shy away from making difficult decisions, it is evident in his honesty and compassion when delivering these messages. Although none of the Newcastle players have publicly criticised Howe, others have. Mark GillespieThe goalkeeper, who was omitted from Premier League squad in order to make way for Loris Karius’ arrival, is said to be content with how the head coach handled the situation.
At Bournemouth, meanwhile, Howe gave a speech to commemorate Pugh’s legacy in his final days. “It was really emotional,” Pugh stated last year. “The gaffer, deep down, he puts on a tough front, and he’s really professional and motivated. He is a very emotional person and a good friend when you get to know him. He cares about people, he cares about his players, and I think he found it difficult to let me go but I think he knew it was the right thing to do at the time.”
It is a drain on energy for anyone involved in relegation. That is magnified exponentially when the bonds are as tight as Howe’s were with Bournemouth.
“Everyone was drained by it, but especially Eddie,” Daniels says. “COVID-19 and the circumstances around that only made it worse. It was a heavy burden for him, and clearly it affected him. The stress of taking his club, Bournemouth, basically as far as he could and unfortunately getting relegated in the final season, it took its toll on him, without doubt.”
Two years later, Howe is still at the club with big ambitions. He is currently undergoing a rebuild. The drive, the desire, and the spark are all back.
Howe, with Saint-Maximin, is in the middle a different kind of rebuild at Newcastle. Photo: Stu Forster/Getty Images
“He seems like Eddie again,” says Daniels. “He’s fully committed to everything he does. He’s full-on and he’s re-energised by this new challenge. He’s not satisfied with what they’ve done so far. They want to continue building, and they want to take the club to new heights. It’s something I know has captured his imagination.”
Howe promised a personal reset during his 15-month absence. He wanted to re-evaluate himself and his approach to coaching so that, when he returned, he was a “better manager”.
“Eddie is massive on self-improvement, both for players and himself,” says Daniels. “When we climbed the divisions at Bournemouth, I saw his approach evolve by bringing in more staff the higher we got. There were more analysts, coaches, and backroom staff. Everything became more professional. This relieved him from many of his direct responsibilities. Although he had full control and final say over all matters, he was assisted by more staff. He still spoke to players and was the man in charge, but he didn’t have to do everything all of the time anymore.”
It was organic growth at Bournemouth. But what happens now? What are these changes Howe insists have taken place?
“He’s reflected on what has happened before,” says Daniels, who visited Newcastle’s training ground in May. “He watched every training session from Bournemouth back and how he has changed is probably in the way he goes about training. He allows his staff members to attend more sessions and allows them to give their input on the training pitch. He will never lose his desire and work ethic. It’s just been about refining himself and his methods.”
Although he grew up in east London, Daniels is a lifelong Newcastle fan, having been inspired by Keegan’s special side as a child. He was angered by those who disparagingly dismissed Howe’s credentials for the Newcastle job last year, having witnessed his Bournemouth revolution first hand.
“I always felt Newcastle needed a manager like Eddie, one who is highly driven, has a high work ethic and sets high standards he expects, to get a grip on them and put them on the right path,” Daniels says. “He’s made for that club.”
To borrow from Shearer, “The fella from Bournemouth” is a “Newcastle man” now.
(Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images).
