The big takeover at Newcastle is complete, and the new owners have installed Eddie Howe as the new manager at the club. Many thought they would try and appoint a bigger name, and probably a European manager, but instead they have gone with someone who knows the league and English football, is this a sign of how they want to do their business over the coming months?
The first task that Howe has is very simple, he needs to make sure Newcastle stay in the Premier League. Signing a manager such as Howe is a great move for that, because the transition phase is going to be much shorter than it would if they appointed someone coming to the Premier League for the first time.
Many sites offering betting on Premier League relegation still have Newcastle as a team who could go down, this is not going to be an easy task. With football betting offers, those wagering on the Premier League can look at long-term markets such as this one and others, to try and predict how teams will perform between now and the end of the season.
So, with his first job being to survive in the Premier League, what does Howe need to do to get that done?
The Importance of the Fans
When you are in a relegation battle, it is important for a club to have the fans on side. Scenes outside St James’ Park when the takeover was announced were full of celebration, and this is something that Howe will not want to lose.
There is a big sense of hope and a lot of excitement for the future around this club right now, something the players need to feed off.
A strong start to his reign would keep this moving until January, before new signings could give them a boost then until the end of the season. If Howe can get this right, it could well be the biggest key to Premier League survival this season.
Signing Players
The rumour mill surrounding Newcastle is firmly in overdrive. Even before their takeover, Newcastle were linked with many players and that has now moved up to the next level.
The strategy used to sign Howe may be used on the pitch, at least for the winter transfer window that is approaching us. This means signing players who are already in the Premier League, or who have played here before, in order to cut down the transition phase, hopefully enabling players to make an immediate impact.
Names rumoured include a lot of players who are unhappy at their current clubs, such as Dele Alli, Jesse Lingard, and others.
As January approaches, the strategy that Newcastle are going to put together will become clearer. However, if the signing of Howe is anything to go by, expect their main targets to be players who are very familiar with English football, and who look in need of a new, fresh start.