Newcastle fans arriving in northern Italy on Monday were greeted by the chaotic combination of a public transport strike and the start of Milan fashion week. Yet as Geordies dressed in black and white replica shirts joined international fashionistas in queueing for increasingly elusive and expensive taxis, Eddie Howe and his players remained immune from the frustration surrounding the preamble to the team’s long‑awaited Champions League return.
Football managers are prone to control-freak tendencies and Howe’s determination to keep the merest hint of chance, let alone chaos, at bay is such that he routinely clocks in at St James’ Park at 9.30am on Saturdays for 3pm Premier League fixtures. Given that even the meticulously prepared Rafael Benítez used to turn up around midday for such games, Howe’s obsession with his job – and getting it right – is evident.
