Newcastle United made the right choice by appointing Eddie Howe over other ‘blue-chip’ options such as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. That’s according to Chronicle Live’s John Gibson who believes Howe outperformed both the Aston Villa and Everton managers last season.
Some elements of the media have hailed Lampard’s achievement of keeping Everton in the Premier League while Gerrard’s debut season in the top flight has also been a success - despite the fact both finished below Newcastle. That in itself wouldn’t seem a blow to their respective finishes but when you remember that when Howe took over Newcastle in November, the club was in serious trouble and without a win.
Everton at that time, under Rafa Benitez, were nine points ahead of Newcastle while Villa were five points clear. The season finished with Newcastle on 49 points - four ahead of Villa and 10 ahead of Everton. Gerrard would be appointed Villa boss on November 11, winning 10 games, while Lampard would take over Everton on January 31, going on to win just eight games.
The end of season tally for Newcastle, in Gibbo’s view, goes to reaffirm that Newcastle’s owners made the right choice to appoint Howe when many were pushing Gerrard or Lampard to get the job.
“If we just cast our minds back to when Howe came, the big names touted about if you were going to get a young ambitious manager were Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard,” Gibbo said on the latest episode of The Everything is Black and White Podcast.
"They are big names because of their playing careers which Eddie Howe didn't have but there is absolutely no question that this guy has done better than both of them. When Howe came to Newcastle both Aston Villa and Everton were above Newcastle, they have both finished below Newcastle.
“What Lampard, for all he is touted as the great new manager, his record at Derby, Chelsea and Everton [isn't great]. Let's look at Gerrard, of course, there is Rangers but that's a two-horse race, so you've got a good chance but at Aston Villa, has it worked out as well as he thought? Howe has done a lot better than the two 'blue-chip' young managers who were around at the time Newcastle were looking.”
When Howe took over, Newcastle were 19th in the table and the result of his first game in charge - the 3-3 game against Brentford - plus Norwich beating Southampton saw United slump to 20th. With only one win in his opening nine games, Championship football looked likely. Yet, Howe oversaw a remarkable turnaround in 2022 which Gibbo reckons put him up there with likes of Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.
“What this guy has done from less than a standing start is absolutely astonishing, and if there was a 'manager of the half year' there would be no comparison whatsoever with Klopp or Guardiola because the second half of the season has been Eddie Howe's totally.
“He has done better than not only what Newcastle United fans had expected deep down in their hearts but I would suggest what he expected and what the owners expected. I don't mean that Newcastle wouldn't stay up - I think both owners and manager thought they would but to stay up but to do spectacularly and conclusively is something that must have been even beyond their wildest dreams.
“You've got to remember that this wasn't a gesture signing by the new owners - to do that you would have gone out and tried to get Jose Mourinho or someone more established, perhaps a little over the hill but with an established reputation. They didn't - they went out and got a guy whose best work has been at Bournemouth.
“A lot of outsiders might get cynical and say 'well what you can do at a club like that, bringing them up to the Premier League might be wonderful but when you've got the pressure of a huge club with a 50K gates, it's a different ball game.'”
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