Eddie Howe is gearing up for his first pre-season in charge of Newcastle United after an impressive campaign last time out. It took the Magpies until December to win their first game of the Premier League season, but after the turn of the year, Howe transformed the Toon into a side capable of mixing it with the best in the division.
A pre-season clip from his time as Bournemouth boss, offers a brilliant insight into the work that's currently taking place behind the scenes as he prepares for the players return. On the Cherries official YouTube channel, there's a ten minute clip from a warm weather training camp in La Manga showing the Bournemouth players being put through their paces.
Newcastle's Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson both know what to expect this summer having worked under Howe before, but for the rest of the group, it's a new challenge. The Cherries begin their work with some fitness tests including the dreaded bleep test before Howe outlines the rest of the session.
READ MORE: Newcastle United's potential fitness advantage Eddie Howe must capitalise on
He says: "We're going to split and do some detailed work, mainly based on the presentation that you saw this morning in your respective groups. If you didn't see a presentation don't worry.
"We're then going to go together on the pitch and work on some counter attacking stuff, some one vs ones. We're then going to go to a possession and end with a game."
The session was filmed on the back of a 14th placed finish after an excellent start to the season. The session focuses on play in the wide area, with the ball being recycled from one side of the pitch into the other.
The former Cherries boss can be heard telling his players to get the ball into wide areas quickly, potentially offering an insight into how the Magpies may tailor their approach this season. Play then shifts away from attacking shadow play into a defence vs attack drill where Howe stamps his authority on proceedings.
Unhappy with the quality shown by his players, Howe says: "To come away with one goal in three minutes is p*** poor, so that tells me what? What does that tell me?
"I'm going to go more crude than that, where are you mentally? The three vs twos, the first few are an absolute f****** joke. No movement. No runs.
"Overlaps - we need that movement. If you move in straight lines the drill doesn't work. If that's counter-attacking in a game where we were devastating last year, it comes from movement."
Howe's approach to the mental side of the game and the numbers behind the data is well documented. Considered a pioneer of the game by many, he's honed his skills throughout his managerial career but his positivity is also refreshing.
Going into the final drill of the session, Howe says: "I want to see what we've worked on come out today. So I'm looking at our defenders' back line, I'm looking at our opposite wide-man out of possession, I'm looking at our centre-forwards attacking crosses.
"Loads of stuff that we can positively review with you from this game but it's going to go quick. The classic for our full-backs. Don't lose sight of what you're doing.
"Don't let it just become a mass mess. I want real quality to come out. Our passing patterns that we've worked on this week. Maximise it."
We want to hear your thoughts, so LOG IN and leave your comment below
READ NEXT:
- The six candidates who could be Newcastle’s captain should Jamaal Lascelles leave
- Newcastle United squad numbers available to both Nick Pope and Sven Botman
- ‘Devastating’ - What Ralph Hasenhuttl and Luis Enrique said about Newcastle-linked Armando Broja
- Sven Botman has passed Newcastle's secret tests for transfer targets to silence AC Milan doubts
- Alan Shearer's one word response to Nick Pope transfer Newcastle United supporters will love
