Arsene Wenger is a Premier League legend for what he achieved at Arsenal, and now Eddie Howe is looking to forge his own legacy at Newcastle United.
The Frenchman revolutionised Arsenal, who Newcastle face on Saturday night. He won three Premier League titles, including the famous ‘Invincibles’ side in 2004, as well as seven FA Cups. But he also revolutionised English football, and that is why he is held in such high esteem.
Howe is yet to get close to those achievements at Newcastle, but he did prove in his first full season on Tyneside that he can be the man to bring success to St James’ Park. Last season he got his side to the Carabao Cup final, while they finished fourth in the league to qualify for the Champions League.
It was a remarkable achievement from Howe, who is once again impressing this season. His Newcastle team are on another Carabao Cup adventure, while they are holding their own in the Champions League. All the while, they are still competing near the top end of the Premier League.
It is incredible what Howe has achieved in such a short space of time, and Wenger is full of praise for the former Bournemouth boss – and he has set out what he must do to be even more successful in the North East.
Arsene Wenger tells Eddie Howe what he must do next at Newcastle
Wenger has been speaking to beIN Sports about Eddie Howe, and has praised the way he has built and developed such an exciting team at Newcastle United.
“He took the challenge to go to Newcastle,” he said.
“It was an interesting challenge for a young manager to go to a club who hasn’t achieved anything for a long time and has huge potential.
“At the start it was difficult, but the fact he had his experience at Bournemouth helped him a lot.
“When the new ownership came in, he did very well and slowly built a team that is balanced, has passion for the game and has been consistent in its results. In the last two years, he has done an exceptional job.
“They’ve just beaten PSG 4-1 in the Champions League, after not playing in the Champions League for a very long time.
“They are now on the fringe of the top four. The next step for them will to be consistent in the top four and after to challenge for the Premier League. To do that, he will certainly need more top players with the same mentality. The challenge for him will be to keep that mentality he’s brought, the culture of performance that he’s instilled in the team.”
Howe is the right man for Newcastle
Arsene Wenger is an icon at Arsenal, while he is one of few managers to have such longevity. There aren’t many like him and Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Newcastle owners want Howe to have that type of longevity at St James’ Park, and I’m sure fans would love that to happen.
Howe is a hero on Tyneside, having saved the club from relegation before making fans dream again. He has built a competitive team that has the right mentality to succeed in the North East, and the sky is the limit for him and the club.
Outsiders might believe that Howe will get replaced by a bigger name in the coming years, but they haven’t been following the script. The club is on a journey, and so is Howe. This is his first experience of Champions League football, and it is helping him grow as a manager. And the more he grows, the better Newcastle become.
Wenger believes the next step is consistency in the top four, and that will be followed by challenging for the Premier League title. But if that is to happen, Wenger is adamant that Howe must maintain the mentality and culture that he has created at the club.
Hopefully he is able to do that, as it is a big reason why Newcastle have been so successful under Howe.
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