Eddie Howe is one of the most promising and exciting managers in English football. He has recently been appointed as the new head coach of Newcastle United, a club with a passionate fan base and a rich history. In this article, we will explore the life and career of Eddie Howe and his strengths and weaknesses of becoming the next manager of the England football team.
Howe was born on November 29, 1977, in Amersham, England. He moved to Verwood in Dorset when he was very young and started playing football with local youth teams. He joined AFC Bournemouth as a teenager and made his first-team debut in 1995 as a defender. He quickly became an important player for the Cherries and was selected for the England Under-21 team in 1998.
In 2002, Howe moved to Portsmouth for £400,000, but his career was hampered by a serious knee injury that kept him out for most of the season. He returned to Bournemouth on loan in 2004 and then permanently in 2005. He retired from playing in 2007 due to persistent injuries.
Howe’s managerial career began in 2008 when he became the youth team coach at Bournemouth. He was promoted to first-team manager in January 2009, becoming the youngest manager in the Football League at the age of 31. He inherited a team that was facing relegation to the Conference National and had started the season with a 17-point deduction due to financial problems.
Howe performed a remarkable turnaround and saved Bournemouth from relegation with two games to spare. He then led them to promotion to League One in his first full season in charge. He attracted interest from other clubs and joined Burnley in January 2011, but returned to Bournemouth in October 2012 for personal reasons.
Howe’s second spell at Bournemouth was even more successful than his first. He guided them to promotion to the Championship in 2013 and then to the Premier League for the first time in their history in 2015. He was named Football League Manager of the Decade for his achievements.
Howe kept Bournemouth in the top flight for five seasons, playing an attractive and attacking style of football that earned him praise from fans and pundits alike. He also developed several players who went on to play for bigger clubs or for their national teams, such as Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser and Matt Ritchie.
However, Howe’s fairy tale story came to an end in August 2020 when Bournemouth were relegated from the Premier League after finishing 18th. Howe decided to leave the club by mutual consent, saying it was “the hardest decision of my life”. He took a year-long break from management before accepting the challenge of reviving Newcastle United’s fortunes.
Howe was appointed as Newcastle’s head coach on November 8, 2021, following the club’s takeover by a Saudi Arabian-backed consortium. He signed a contract until the summer of 2024 and took over a team that was 19th in the table, five points from safety after 11 games. He watched his new team draw 1-1 at Brighton on his first day on the job.
Howe has a lot of work ahead of him to keep Newcastle in the Premier League and to fulfil the expectations of the new owners and the fans. He will also have to deal with the pressure and scrutiny that comes with managing one of the biggest clubs in England.
Howe has been linked with the England job several times in the past, especially after Roy Hodgson resigned following Euro 2016. He has always expressed his ambition to manage his country one day, but he has also said he needs more experience and success at club level before he can take that step.
Howe has many strengths that make him a potential candidate for the England job. He is young, innovative and adaptable. He has a clear philosophy of playing positive and entertaining football. He has shown he can work with limited resources and develop young talent. He has also demonstrated his loyalty and integrity by staying with Bournemouth through thick and thin.
However, Howe also has some weaknesses that could hinder his chances of becoming England manager. He has not won any major trophies or competed in Europe as a manager. He has not managed any big-name players or dealt with big egos or dressing room issues. He has also struggled defensively at times and failed to prevent Bournemouth’s relegation.
Howe is undoubtedly one of the most talented and respected managers in English football. He has achieved remarkable things with Bournemouth and has taken this experience to Newcastle, where he has proved he is able to manage big personalities, and drive a great ethos, without spending untold riches to buy the talent in.