The media have a strange obsession about Newcastle United needing a manager with a bigger reputation than Eddie Howe.
Despite all of the incredible work that he has done at St James’ Park, some people do not seem to think Eddie Howe can take Newcastle United much further.
This comes after the Magpies were knocked out of the Champions League last week, losing 2-1 against AC Milan to finish bottom of their group. It was fine margins though, as a win against the Serie A side would have put Newcastle through to the next round.
The negativity surrounding Newcastle’s performance in Europe does not tell the whole story. In truth, Howe’s side did us proud. We held our own against three top clubs, and came within a whisker of qualifying. We did a lot better than Manchester United, for example, who had a much easier Champions League group and are more experienced in the competition.
But that has not stopped some parts of the media raising eyebrows at the possibility of Howe continuing as Toon boss long into the future. That is what the fans want, and it is currently what the owners want, yet some people see it differently.
One of those is beIN Sports presenter Richard Keys, who is now suggesting that Newcastle need a ‘super-coach’ like Jose Mourinho to go to the next level.
Richard Keys backs Jose Mourinho to replace Eddie Howe at Newcastle
Keys has written about Newcastle in his weekly blog, and has suggested that the Toon owners have a big decision to make regarding Howe after his side ‘simply weren’t good enough’ in the Champions League.
“There are some big decisions to be made now at St James’,” he wrote.
“Can Howe take them on again? Can he convince top players to join the Saudi revolution? It will take more than just money to do that.
“Or will Newcastle have to find themselves a ‘super-coach’ in order to push on? If that’s a decision they’re considering – who might that be? Don’t rule out Jose Mourinho. And if it happens, remember where you read it first.”
Majority of Newcastle fans would pick Howe over Mourinho
What an absolute load of nonsense. As he so often does, Keys has got it all wrong.
Newcastle certainly did not disgrace themselves in Europe, nor is this the limit of Howe’s ability as a manager. He and the club are growing together, which is why they are a match made in heaven.
The owners have made some brilliant decisions since buying the club, one of which has been avoiding big names with ginormous reputations. They appointed Eddie Howe and bought Dan Burn, which is what no one expected from the richest club in the world.
Sure, the media would love to see someone like Jose Mourinho as Newcastle United manager. And the 60-year-old would probably relish it too, as he has always spoken fondly about the Magpies given his relationship with Sir Bobby Robson.
But Mourinho, who recently praised Howe, is no longer special, and it would be a sad day if he were to become Newcastle manager.
We already have someone special in Howe, and he has the ability to reach that next level. But it is not going to happen overnight, which is what some people like Richard Keys appear to expect.
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