The Premier League will welcome a new manager to the division next season, and it is a man that Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe knows very well.
In a shock to the footballing world, Gary O’Neil was sacked by Bournemouth on Monday. That is despite keeping the Cherries in the Premier League against the odds, finishing in 15th to ensure another year of top flight football.
But they will go on without O’Neil, who has been relieved of his duties. His shock departure suggested that Bournemouth already had his replacement lined up, and that has proven to be the case.
The South Coast club have already announced their next manager, with Andoni Iraola taking over at the Vitality Stadium. The Spaniard’s contract at Rayo Vallecano expired at the end of the season, and he has now signed a two-year deal to manage in the Premier League for the first time in his career.
It will be a huge test for the 40-year-old, and it will be no surprise if he calls upon Eddie Howe for some advice.
Eddie Howe and Andoni Iraola have history together
Howe’s reputation right now is greater than it ever has been, finishing fourth in the Premier League and guiding Newcastle into the Champions League. He also took the Magpies to Wembley last season, where they lost in the 2023 Carabao Cup final.
His stock has never been higher, and that is largely down to the work he did during his time away from football. Howe spent more than a year out of work after leaving Bournemouth, where he spent a lot of time dissecting his own managerial ability and trying to better himself.
That included visiting other clubs and learning from others, which led to a trip to Madrid. He watched Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid, but he also watched Iraola at Vallecano.
The new Bournemouth boss spent a lot of time ‘exchanging ideas’ with Howe, and admitted that he made a ‘big impression’ on the former Athletic Bilbao defender. Iraola stated that he was ‘convinced’ Howe would be a hit at St James’ Park, and that has proven to be the case. Now he will be hoping to do just as well down on the south coast.
Iraola and his Bournemouth team face Newcastle and Howe on November 11th, just less than a year since the last time the two managers went head-to-head. That was at St James’ Park last December, when the Magpies took on Rayo Vallecano in a mid-season friendly at St James’ Park.
Howe got the better of Iraola on that occasion, and will hope to do the same in the Premier League this season.
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