Eddie Howe has revealed that coach analyst Mark Leyland has made a 'big impact' since joining the club from Liverpool as Jurgen Klopp jokingly warned his former colleague 'we play a completely different team' now.
Leyland, of course, has been helping to plot the downfall of his former employers this week as quadruple-chasing Liverpool travel to St James' Park to face Newcastle on Saturday. It certainly won't be the first time that Leyland's inside knowledge of Liverpool will be tapped into by Newcastle and Klopp and assistant Pep Lijnders even joked with the Scouser about that prospect ahead of the reverse fixture earlier this season.
Klopp did not want to lose Leyland last December but, tellingly, the Liverpool boss did not stand in his way or force him to serve a lengthy notice period. The club's former head of post-match and elite player development analysis was even given a round of applause by players and staff at the training ground on his last day, which shows how well-regarded he was.
