The choice of who will replace Gareth Southgate as England men’s first-team coach has long been a subject of much conjecture, and one of the favourites, Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe, has now made a definitive decision.
After such a turnaround in the Magpies fortunes over the past couple of years, it’s clear that former Bournemouth manager, Howe, will be a huge loss to the club.
The team play in his image, and the front-foot attacking style that has become their hallmark, is in stark contrast to the boring fare that was routinely served up by Steve Bruce’s men.
Once Mike Ashley sold out to the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Bruce was replaced by Howe, things were only ever going to be transformed in a positive manner.
Fortunately for fans of the club, that all seems set to continue.
“I have had no contact whatsoever from anybody [regarding the England job],” Howe was reported by The Mag as saying.
“I am fully committed to Newcastle United. There is nothing to talk about. I do not need to address the players. They know by how I act.
“They can see how I am on a daily basis, to see how committed I am to the club.”
Much is being made of Howe’s attacking style with Newcastle but his tactics when playing away at rivals grounds were a disgrace. Newcastle games v Liverpool and Arsenal showed Howe’s desire to cheat, time-waste and ruin games in order to gain a point. I therefore think he’d be an ideal England manager, another loser in the true Southgate mould.