Graeme Souness has revealed what has impressed him most about Eddie Howe since becoming Newcastle United manager.
Howe has done some incredible things in the couple of years that he’s had at the helm of Newcastle, but there’s something in particular that sticks out for the Scotsman.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Souness claimed that it was Howe’s man management and the transformation of Miguel Almiron and Joelinton that has impressed him the most.
Souness says Howe has done a ‘remarkable’ job at Newcastle
Qualifying for the Champions League, taking the club to Wembley for the first time in two decades and scoring five goals in the opening 21 minutes of a game are just a few of the things Howe has achieved at Newcastle.
To be in this position so quickly after the takeover in 2021 was completely unexpected for every Newcastle fan, and now they’re starting to dream big.
Not only has Howe done very well with bringing players into the squad, a big compliment that he’s often received is what he has done with the players who were already at the club.
Both Joelinton and Almiron were starting for the team who were winless in the Premier League by January 2022 and looked like relegation was the most likely outcome.
However, somehow the boss has managed to turn everything around and now both players are key members in a team fighting consistently for European football and trophies, it’s quite unbelievable.
Souness has been impressed with what Howe has done with the Newcastle duo in particular and claims that improving players who you didn’t bring in is the sign of a top manager.
On the show, Souness said: “I think Eddie’s done a remarkable job up there and he’s bought well, but what I’d like to point to is Almiron and Joelinton.
“How he’s made players who you’re thinking ‘they aren’t premier league players’ they now look proper Premier League players. That’s a big part of a mangers job to make players better and he’s done that.”
Almiron and Joelinton epitomise Howe’s style
You’d do well to find two Newcastle players who represent everything Howe is about more than this duo. The pair are such hard workers and are willing to run themselves into the ground every week for the 46-year-old.
Having built up a reputation of being an intense team who press high up the pitch and demand a lot from their players, both Almiron and Joelinton are perfect for the roles that they play.
While fans may get frustrated at the lack of end product the Paraguayan has, and rightly so, Howe knows that he’s always going to get 100% from the winger which seems to be the most important thing for him.
Not only are both players key attackers, they also work very hard on the defensive end to help cover for the full-backs who often look to push on, so they’re crucial to the system that Howe likes to play.
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