Eddie Howe has revealed he walked right into a Newcastle dressing room which “wanted help” when he launched his rescue mission final yr.
Howe will have a good time 12 months on the Magpies’ helm on November 8 having lifted the membership from seemingly Premier League relegation certainties to unlikely top-four contenders forward of Sunday’s journey to Southampton.
Asked if he thought the squad he inherited from predecessor Steve Bruce, which he has since boosted with big-money signings, was higher than it was given credit score for, the 44-year-old head coach replied: “Yes, I did.
“I had that belief internally that we’d got some really good players. I think my first impressions were genuine, a really willing group that wanted to be coached, that wanted help, so I felt that was a really good starting point.”
Howe’s perception is supported by the large enchancment in particular person gamers already on the books at St James’ Park when he arrived, with defender Fabian Schar and midfielder Joelinton, who’s suspended this weekend, amongst these to have performed starring roles in his revival.
However, no-one has made greater strides than 28-year-old Paraguay worldwide Miguel Almiron, who has scored six objectives in his final six video games, a few of them in spectacular style, to reply in emphatic fashion to Manchester City star Jack Grealish’s much-publicised end-of-season barb.
Such has been his impression that he’s certainly one of three Newcastle gamers to be nominated for the Premier League Player of the Month award for October, and it’s a measure of his worth to the membership that one of many others, Bruno Guimaraes, has urged followers by way of social media to vote for the previous Atlanta United participant.
Howe stated: “We don’t expect Miggy to be scoring – we’d love him to – but we don’t expect him to be scoring shots from 25, 30 yards every week. It’s an unrealistic expectation.
“We’re delighted with the ones he has scored and, if you put them together, which a lot of people have, you end up with a show-reel of outstanding goals, really high technical delivery.
“But I get just as much pleasure from seeing his second goal against Fulham, a tap-in in the six-yard box from Joe Willock’s cross. They’re the goals that you’d love our players to be able to deliver every week.”
Almiron capped his scoring exploits with a surprising left-foot strike in final Saturday’s 4-0 win over Aston Villa, however requested to analyse his weaker proper foot, Howe stated: “I don’t really analyse the weakness of his right foot, I analyse the strength of the left and Miggy’s left is like a wand at the moment.
“Let’s analyse that rather than the other way around.”
Source: www.impartial.co.uk