Report: The four words Eddie Howe is constantly telling his Newcastle team

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Newcastle United are a changed team under Eddie Howe, and a report from the Athletic explains what he constantly says to his players.

Under Steve Bruce, the Magpies were incredibly passive. His side sat back and did their best to soak up pressure, hoping to score on the counter. In truth, the plan seemed to be as simple as ‘give it to Saint-Maximin and hope for the best’.

And it worked more often than it should have. But eventually it stopped working. The Frenchman wasn’t fit every week, nor could he be expected to a carry a full team every game when he was available.

Bruce’s way eventually imploded, and he was relieved of his duties by the new ownership. In his place arrived Howe, and everything has changed under the former Bournemouth boss.

Newcastle are a completely new club in every sense of the word. From top to bottom, changes have been made. And it is bringing results and performances on the pitch.

The Magpies are sixth in the table after nine games, and Howe will be very pleased with the way his players are following his instructions – especially the four-word message he is constantly giving them.

Howe is always telling his players ‘intensity is our identity’

According to the Athletic, Howe has a four-word mantra that he is constantly reinforcing to his player – ‘intensity is our identity’.

They state that the message is repeated to the players before pretty much every training session, and it also appears on the walls of the training ground.

It’s a simple message, but clearly an effective one. Newcastle play much more on the front-foot now, with pressing being the foundation of every good performance.

We saw it work brilliantly on Saturday against Brentford. The Bees made a few mistakes that led to goals, but it was Newcastle’s pressing that forced the error. The best example of that was the second goal where David Raya’s stray pass led to Jacob Murphy scoring.

Howe has created a culture where the players will fight to win possession. We are no longer passive in our approach, and are also much fitter than we used to be.

All of this is culminating in Howe’s side playing very well and possibly challenging for a place in Europe.

The intensity we see from the Newcastle players is a real joy to watch, and the energy bleeds out into the stands. Howe’s players are intense, and so is St James’ Park. And teams simply can’t handle it.