Pep, Klopp… Howe? Newcastle boss deserves Premier League Manager of the Season recognition
Robin Bairner
- 18 Apr 2022 18:30 BST
- 3 min read
Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool will inevitably lead the way when it comes to the Premier League Manager of the Season race, yet Eddie Howe’s work at Newcastle deserves to put him into the frame for the honour.
When Howe took over at St James’ Park in the wake of the takeover from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in the autumn, their situation looked desperate.
With 14 matches on the board, they had only picked up seven points and were still waiting on their first victory. They were six points from safety, and the teams immediately above the relegation zone, Southampton and Watford, both had games in hand over them.
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Newcastle’s incredible turnaround
Howe did receive backing for the January transfer window, but the players who were acquired by Newcastle were hardly the type of star names who might have been expected to blow away Premier League rivals.
Kieran Trippier and the excellent Bruno Guimaraes were the two most notable exceptions, yet the full-back has spent much of his time in the north east injured, featuring in only four Premier League matches.
Certainly, he has not had the resources, both in time and finances, that both Guardiola and Klopp have been afforded.
There is little doubt that Howe has been backed by the new board, but equally few could argue with his record since being given that backing.
Remarkably, only Liverpool and Manchester City have picked up more points per game in 2022 than Newcastle.
Premier League Top 10 (2022 results only)
| Played | Points | |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | 12 | 32 |
| Tottenham | 15 | 27 |
| Newcastle | 13 | 26 |
| Man City | 11 | 24 |
| Wolves | 14 | 24 |
| Man Utd | 14 | 23 |
| West Ham | 14 | 21 |
| Chelsea | 10 | 20 |
| Arsenal | 12 | 19 |
| Brentford | 15 | 19 |
Relegation worries have long since disappeared for the Geordies, who sit an astonishing 12 points clear of the drop zone.
Indeed, so does the former Bournemouth boss have his side playing, they are only three points off Leicester in ninth, and finishing the campaign in the top half of the standings certainly does not look an unrealistic goal.
A top 10 finish would have been deemed impossible for Newcastle in the early weeks of Howe’s reign, so why should he not be considered a legitimate candidate for the Premier League Manager of the Season award?
