Eddie Howe's off-pitch masterclass amid Newcastle United 'change'
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe made his position clear on the England job long before Thomas Tuchel's appointment.
A few months ago I wrote that Newcastle United fans knew the best man for the England job.
That was potentially a problem for the club, as that man was (and arguably still is) Eddie Howe.
Southgate had just stood down following a final defeat at Euro 2024, and Howe had been quickly installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed him in the post.
Howe, unlike the newly-appointed Thomas Tuchel, hasn’t won a major trophy, but his achievements at club level speak for themselves.
The 46-year-old took Bournemouth from English football’s fourth tier to the Premier League, and Newcastle from the relegation zone to the Champions League in the space of 18 months following his appointment.
Howe is a coach with an extraordinary work ethic and attention to detail. That was evident very early on in his Newcastle career when he took over a winless and shapeless team which needed drive and direction.
He quickly shaped and moulded the squad he inherited, and gave the team an identity, something it hadn’t had for years. Intensity became the team’s identity.
There isn’t another English manager working at his level, so speculation over the England role was inevitable. The only credible homegrown alternative was seemingly out-of-work Graham Potter, though Under-21s head coach Lee Carsley was also in the running after taking the senior job on an interim basis.
Clear response
A couple of weeks after Southgate’s announcement, Howe, in Japan with his Newcastle squad for two pre-season friendlies, took his seat for a press conference after a training session in hot and humid conditions.
Howe, feeling the heat, wore a baseball cap for the presser in Tokyo.
There were the usual questions about injuries and team selection ahead of the following day’s game against Urawa Red Diamonds in Saitama, but the national story at the time was the search for Southgate’s successor.
When I asked Howe about the England job, his response was short and to the point. United’s head coach simply reiterated his “commitment” to his club.
It was the right way to handle the question, and Howe has had plenty of practice handling questions about the England job.
A couple of weeks earlier, Howe had skilfully handled England questions at a press day in Germany amid behind-the-scenes “change” following the appointment of Paul Mitchell as sporting director and the departure of co-owners Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi.
“There’s been a lot of change this summer. It’s been a very difficult summer for everyone connected with the club. With change always comes a new feeling.
“You can point to PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules), Amanda and Mehrdad, a change in sporting director, which, of course, influences me. These are all big changes. That is why I’ve made the points I have because this has to work for Newcastle.
“It’s about making sure Newcastle United is as strong as it can be for the next season – and beyond. We’ve all got to come together and make sure we’re the force we want to be.”
The summer changes had seemingly unsettled Howe, but, a couple of months into the new season, things have since settled down.
The subject of England had first came up a couple of years ago after the odds on him becoming the next England manager tumbled after a couple of disappointing results for Southgate’s team.
Again, Howe, always articulate, handled it well.
Howe praised Southgate – who was under pressure at the time – and stressed his preference for a “day-to-day” coaching job.
“I never say never, never say ‘no, it won’t be something I’m interested in’,” said Howe. “But, in the short term, it’s not on my radar at all. It’s all Newcastle – and trying to make this team better.”
Howe looked to be the right English manager for the job, but it was the wrong time for a man who wants to achieve things at club level before even thinking about international football.
The Football Association would have to look elsewhere for Southgate’s successor.
Contract ‘protection’
Newcastle, for their part, had done what they could to “protect” themselves from him being poached by England when he signed a new “long-term” contract at St James’ Park in 2022.
Dan Ashworth, the club’s sporting director at the time, had previously worked for the Football Association, and he knew that Howe would be in their thinking should Southagate step aside before or after Euro 2024.
Speaking a couple of years ago, Ashworth said: “We’ve done everything we can from a contractual point of view that you'd do for a manager to protect the club."
Ashworth, of course, would find out just how well the club protects its key employees when he revealed that he wanted to join Manchester United earlier this year. It would be many months, and take many millions of pounds, before he was able to join the club.
Crucially, Tuchel was out of work and available after leaving Bayern Munich.
The 51-year-old – who has signed an 18-month contract which starts in January – can now start planning for the 2026 World Cup.
Tuchel has won major trophies with clubs in three countries, and he has a real chance to challenge for silverware at international level.
Howe, we know, is focused on winning something with Newcastle, a club which hasn’t won a major trophy in 55 years.
There will be a question or two about Tuchel’s appointment when Howe sits down with the media ahead of Saturday’s Premier League home game against Brighton and Hove Albion.
This time, Howe can simply wish Tuchel well in his new job – and move on in his own role with one less distraction.