Eddie Howe’s birthday falls on 29 November but, in a professional context, a couple of his best presents have arrived a day later. By happy coincidence, two of the most productive tactical gambles of the Newcastle manager’s tenure centred on 1-1 draws staged on 30 November. Although the first was enforced and the second voluntary, both experiments involved midfielders and would prove watershed moments in Newcastle’s evolution into one of England’s most feared teams.
Like his predecessor, Steve Bruce, Howe struggled to transform Joelinton from a £40m flop into a free-scoring centre-forward but when Ciaran Clark was sent-off against Norwich everything changed. To widespread amazement, the Brazilian responded to moving into midfield by discovering his inner Patrick Vieira and playing a key part in securing a creditable draw. Since then there has been no turning back.
