When Eddie Howe arrived on Tyneside almost 12 months ago, there were a few nagging doubts in the heads of Newcastle United supporters. It was always going to be a tough ask to walk into the job after Lucien Favre, Paulo Fonseca, Roberto Martínez and Rafa Benítez had all been heavily been touted in the weeks leading up to his appointment.
But Howe 's defensive record at Bournemouth also rang alarm bells for a section of the fanbase. After all, the incoming Newcastle boss was inheriting a team with a minus 12 goal difference after only 11 games.
Howe enjoyed a long and successful stint at the Vitality Stadium, propelling the south coast side up the footballing pyramid before establishing them as a Premier League force. But the Cherries also leaked goals and after suffering relegation, the lack of defensive resilience in the side was a reputation that seemed to stick with Howe, much to his dismay.
READ MORE: 'I'm all in', Eddie Howe's recipe for success with Newcastle United starts at home
"It’s a strange one because defending and attacking go hand in hand,” Howe said this week. “I had this reputation of not being a good defensive coach, and I didn’t particularly like that.
"But that’s not to say we’ve drastically changed our method and approach. When I had my break I went away and looked at everything I was delivering, and one of the things I thought was that our defensive record at Bournemouth wasn’t very good."
Fast forward to today and Howe has revolutionised Newcastle defence, with the north east side boasting the best defensive record in the Premier League thus far. Intensity is the identity at St James' Park these days and every Newcastle player from Callum Wilson through to Nick Pope is now defending from the front.
Howe has made no bones of the fact he wants his side to be aggressive and play on the front foot, a tactic seldom seen at Newcastle in years gone by. Of course, shrewd investments have been made to make this type of football possible. A near-perfect recruitment drive in 2022 has in turn brought added the desired results too.
It was imperative to bring in leadership in January when the club were faced with the possibility of a third Premier League relegation. Many scoffed at the prospect Kieran Trippier would be open to leaving sunny Spain for a relegation scrap on Tyneside.
However, that deal has proven to be a catalyst for Newcastle in the months since. Trippier was the first piece of the puzzle and opened to door to other high profile additions who decided to take the plunge with him. On the pitch, the former Tottenham right-back has flourished and in many eyes is already the best Newcastle have ever had in his position.
Fabian Schar is another ever-present in Howe's team this term, drastically improving his game after a tumultuous time in seasons gone by. The Swiss defender is enjoying arguably his best form in a black and white shirt after reviving his Newcastle career under Howe in 2022.
Before the boss took office at St James' Park, Schar was at a crossroads in his Magpies journey after falling down the pecking order under Steve Bruce. Rafa Benitez was the man who thought he would be worth the small punt back in 2018 and was proven right with the centre-back hitting the ground running upon arrival in England.
For all the investment into the defence, the resurgence of Schar has been one of the highlights of the campaign so far. Once a centre-half 'only capable of playing in a back three' who was prone to errors, he has been transformed into a solid defender with an eye for goal.
His fellow centre-half, Sven Botman is another to have settled nicely this term. The former Lille man is yet to lose as a Newcastle player with 10 appearances in all competitions, five of those being wins and five clean sheets. And the big Dutch centre-back has only lost four aerial battles in the Premier League.
Howe also has two solid options at left-back through Dan Burn and Matt Targett, while Nick Pope is proving a snip at just £10m from Burnley a few months back.
But for all Howe's tactics and recruitment are working, the players are now fighting for every ball, every tackle and for the Newcastle United badge. That was clear to see in midweek when Anthony Gordon squared up with Trippier, only to see Schar hurtling towards him to fight his corner.
It is early days and Howe wants the defensive record to be judged next May, rather than after just a handful of games. But if Newcastle can continue this form at the back, the club will be in and around the European spots and Howe may finally just shed that defensive stereotype he dislikes so much.
READ NEXT
- 'There's an aura about us' - Callum Wilson explains Newcastle confidence after 'positive process'
- Dan Burn argument, Amadou Onana storm and simple truth on Miguel Almiron form
- Eddie Howe's dressing room message to Newcastle United players will unnerve Premier League rivals
- Frank Lampard gives Newcastle United huge compliment as Eddie Howe passes top six test
- Miguel Almiron 'feeling very good' and hails Eddie Howe for Newcastle United confidence
