Eddie Howe continues to get the best out of Newcastle United players who don't always naturally grab the headlines on Tyneside. Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson and Bruno Guimaraes' talent is clear for all to see but it is the Magpies boss' ability to improve the club's unsung heroes that is really benefitting the north east outfit at present.
Rafa Benitez had a similar quality during his Newcastle stint, as he eked that little bit more from cheap buys and young additions. Much of the Spaniard's work with fringe players was undone under Steve Bruce as the likes of Fabian Schar and Sean Longstaff reverted to type following the change in the dugout.
But Longstaff is now one of those players flourishing from Howe's guidance, with the former Bournemouth coach putting an arm round his midfielder's shoulder and championing him in public when some sections of the fanbase weren't so sure as to whether he had a long-term future at his boyhood club.
