Newcastle United host Brentford at home on Saturday with Eddie Howe taking charge of the relegation-threatened side for the first time
By Kehinde Okeowo
Newcastle United is now the only team without a win this season in the English Premier League (EPL) after Norwich beat Brentford in their last game before the international break.
The Maggies prepare for battle with new EPL comer, Brentford, at St James’ Park on Saturday afternoon in the first game of the Eddie Howe era.
After losing out in their pursuit of Spanish coach, Unai Emery, the new Saudi owners of Newcastle United settled for former Bournemouth coach Eddie Howe.
The 43-year-old was in attendance when Magpies and the Seagulls played out a draw in battle on the South Coast.
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The Magpies are currently 19th in the Premier League, five points away from safety.
Newcastle United prevailed in both of their encounters with Brentford during the 2016-17 Championship season.
However, Howe needs no reminding of the enormity of the task ahead, with Newcastle taking just two points from their five league games at home this season.
It has also conceded 13 goals at St James’ Park already, the worst defensive record in the top flight at home for any EPL club.
In 2007, the new Newcastle United boss retired from football in summer 2007, after he was unable to recover from a knee injury In September 2008.
He returned to AFC Bournemouth as a youth coach under Jimmy Quinn and took over as caretaker manager when Quinn was sacked on December 31, 2008.
Howe became the permanent manager of the club on January 19, 2009, and brought the club out of the relegation zone despite a 17-point deficit.
Howe guided AFC Bournemouth to Premier League survival in their first season in the top-flight football, with a 16th-place finish seeing them five points clear of the relegation zone.
An even better Premier League campaign in 2016–17 saw AFC Bournemouth finish ninth. A year later.
But the club’s 5-year stay in the Premier League ended in 2019–20 after AFC Bournemouth finished in 18th place.
After their relegation, AFC Bournemouth announced that Howe had left the club by mutual consent, after eight years in charge.
In May 2021, Howe rejected an offer from Celtic and was appointed to replace Steve Bruce as the manager of Premier League club Newcastle United on November 8, 2021.