Kieran Trippier has confirmed dressing room concerns were held about training and the 'level of fitness' under the former Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce. The Magpies' stand-in skipper was the first arrival of the new era on Tyneside, reuniting with Eddie Howe three months after Bruce's departure.
The former Newcastle head coach left in October 2021 by mutual consent after overseeing his 1,000th match in management, a 3-2 home defeat to Tottenham. United were winless at that stage of the season, and were listed among the relegation favourites.
Howe's appointment coupled with a January transfer spend close to £100 million helped lift Newcastle to a mid-table finish. The former Bournemouth boss has now guided the club to their first Wembley final in more than two decades and a current top-four spot in his first full season in charge at St James' Park.
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Concerns over fitness and training were held throughout Bruce's reign, with Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson among those to confirm them following his departure. When asked about Howe's impact behind the scenes and the role it has played in the Magpies' turnaround, Trippier admits these doubts emerged in conversations with his new team-mates ahead of sealing his transfer from Atletico Madrid in January last year.
He told Vibe with Five: "I spoke to a few players before I came here, and obviously the old owners were here and Steve Bruce. Some of the lads were saying things like training and the level of fitness of the players wasn't there.
"Eddie has come in, and he's one of the type of managers that needs to know everything about you. He brings the right characters into the club, which he has done since I've been here.
"He's all about the togetherness of the group, and he's one of those managers where fitness-wise, I feel we're probably one of the fittest teams in the league. He's big on that as well, about out-running opponents."
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