Eddie Howe’s tenure as Newcastle United manager is over after almost five years at the helm…
Eddie Howe has been adored by the majority of players he has worked with. The now ex-Newcastle United manager can reflect on a strong relationship with a host of stars during his time on Tyneside.
But when you’ve managed a club for almost five years, it’s impossible to stay on good terms with everyone. And there have been a couple of instances where relations have turned sour.
The most obvious example is Alexander Isak, who pushed for a transfer to Liverpool last summer. As speculation cranked up, the Swedish striker was left out of a pre-season game at Celtic and a tour of Asia, as he was made to train on his own.
To his credit, Howe refrained from criticising Isak, even though he was clearly unhappy about the situation. The same could not be said of the player himself, who issued an explosive social media statement in which he slammed the Magpies and claimed promises had been broken.
“The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time. To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading,” he wrote.
“When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue. That’s where things are for me right now – and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself.”
Of course, Isak eventually got his way as he joined Liverpool for a British transfer record £125million. The saga was arguably the beginning of the end of Howe’s tenure.
Going back further, Howe also had a frosty relationship with Ryan Fraser. The pair actually fell out at Bournemouth amid a disagreement over a short-term extension when the Cherries needed him to sign a deal to help them stay up in 2020.
Fraser went on to join Newcastle, then managed by Steve Bruce, but the pair were reunited in 2021. By 2023, Fraser was training with the under-21s, with Howe openly admitting the Scot had no future at the club.
Howe said: “I’d never put a firm decision on that [whether Fraser has a future at the club] because life and football can change quickly. But I’d say, at the moment, no he doesn’t.
“Ryan’s training with the under-21s. I made the decision to concentrate on players that are committed to Newcastle. For the benefit of the group, I’ve made that call.”
Earlier this year, Fraser insisted he had no hard feelings towards Howe, calling him a ‘father figure’ during his time at Bournemouth and saying: “He can make any player in this world better.”
Be the first to comment