It is not often a manager is handed a long-term contract just nine months after his arrival. However, the timing of Eddie Howe's new deal at Newcastle United was far from a coincidence on the eve of the new campaign.
It was not only a reward for the impressive job Howe did last season but, also, proof that the owners genuinely believe the head coach will be with them for a while yet in their quest to deliver 'long-term success'. Howe, after all, is still only 44 and the Newcastle boss' ability to build as much as his experience of relegation battles appealed to the hierarchy and, particularly, chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan when they hired him last November following a failed move for Villarreal boss Unai Emery.
Howe had previously spent nearly eight years at Bournemouth during his second spell at the club, taking the Cherries from League One into the Premier League, and helped his side punch above their weight in the top-flight for many years. Now, Howe will look to do the latter on a much grander scale as Newcastle attempt to one day upset the established order.
