Gary Lineker is the latest pundit to praise Eddie Howe for Newcastle United’s inspired turnaround. An impressive 2-1 away win over Tottenham Hotspur - unbeaten at home this season before kick-off - has the Magpies’ boss earning all the post-match plaudits.
When Howe arrived last November, he was unfancied for the job from certain quarters due to his previous relegation with Bournemouth. A stellar tenure on the South Coast, where he dragged the Cherries to the Premier League from League Two and kept them there for five years, was discredited.
Critics also cited his perceived inability to coach a defence - an area Newcastle desperately needed to improve this time last year. However, the 44-year-old has silenced his doubters to become a firm hit on Tyneside.
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Former England striker Lineker believes Howe’s day-to-day achievements are there for all to see. Having made no secret that his passion is operating on the training pitch, the Toon boss has developed several first-team players’ games tenfold.
Fabian Schar, Joelinton, Sean Longstaff and Miguel Almiron were outcasts under the previous regime but Howe has reinvented the quartet into key figures in his side. Almiron, in particular, has been the star of 2022-23 so far after bagging six Premier League goals to help fire Newcastle into fourth spot.
Lineker noted that the sign of an elite manager is how he develops players who are already under his guidance. The Match of the Day host tweeted: “The top managers/coaches improve the players under their wing. There is no doubt that Eddie Howe has done exactly that.”
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