On The Volley: Eddie Howe, not Saudi Investment, is reason for Newcastle Transformation

By Charlie DeMatteo

When the PIF of Saudi Arabia took over Newcastle United just over a year ago, many predicted that an influx of cash spent on quality players would transform the club’s future. Despite some hefty investments in the past 12 months, I believe the work being done by manager Eddie Howe is why Newcastle currently sits fourth in the Premier League table, not the money spent.

Many who assessed Newcastle’s uptick in form at the end of last season after the takeover cited the money spent in January on the likes of Bruno Guimares and Kieran Trippier, high-profile names who would probably wouldn’t have made the move to Tyneside if it were not for the takeover. And yet, those who credit the money spent in January never acknowledge that the 25 million spent on Chris Wood was a failure as Wood hardly scored, and the signings of Dan Burn and Matt Targett cost less than 15 million combined. So when it comes to arguing that the January transfer window of last year turned a team without a win at Christmas into a top half team, I would disagree.

Onto this summer, Newcastle did make some big signings, such as Alexander Isak for 70 million pounds and Sven Botman for 35 million. While Newcastle sit in the top four and look like a tough game for anyone in the league, many cite these big-money signings as why.

However, Isak has scored just two goals since arriving, and Botman is not even a guaranteed starter. So how is it that Howe has turned a stale and underperforming group of players into one challenging at the top of the table? The answer is not that he simply replaced these players; the answer is Howe has improved the existing ones drastically.

The first of a couple players I will take a look at this week is Joelinton. Joelinton was signed in 2019 for 40 million pounds as a Brazilian striker who would get fans on their feet. What Newcastle got was perhaps one of the worst-ever value deals, as Joelinton continually struggled to score in the Premier League and was often booed by fans. Fast forward three years, and Joelinton now plays a completely different position as a box-to-box midfielder and is loved by Newcastle fans.

I really can’t overstate how big of an achievement it has been by Howe to transform the career of Joelinton as he has. To change the position of a player is a massive gamble, and the fact it has paid off demonstrates Howe’s knowledge of the game as well as man management. Joelinton went from being a Premier League reject to a one-man wrecking ball in midfield, and credit to him for turning it around, but also credit to Howe for initiating the renaissance.

The next player I want to focus on is Miguel Almiron, who under Howe, has become a dazzling attacking player. Almiron was not always the player he is now though. When he arrived in England, he was a raw talent from the MLS and clearly had room for improvement. While his work ethic was never questioned, his quality was, with Newcastle fans calling him a “headless chicken” at times.

To understand just how much Almiron has improved, he just finished October with six goals and was nominated for Premier League Player of the Month. Not only is he scoring consistently, he is scoring worldies, completing a more difficult goal seemingly every time he scores. A player like Almiron clearly needed confidence to thrive, and that’s what Howe has given him. 

Being the first manager of the new regime at Newcastle was never going to be easy, and many questioned whether Howe had what it took to succeed with such a large budget given his previous track record at smaller clubs. Let’s just say Howe has proved his doubters wrong.

Not only has Howe recruited expertly with every single one of his signings working out (except for Wood), but he has also managed to improve existing players so much so that he can afford to be patient in implementing the new signings. This balance that Howe has struck with new and existing players has created a harmonious locker room atmosphere and a sheer brilliant team on the field. Many expected the takeover of Newcastle to turn them into challengers for Europe in the league; however, almost nobody predicted that to be true this soon.

That much is down to the work of Howe, and it must be applauded.