Eddie Howe was presented to the media yesterday, in what was his first public appearance since replacing Steve Bruce at Newcastle.
The 43-year-old spoke well, and expressed his excitement at being able to work with Allan Saint-Maximin.
What’s the story?
Well, by the sounds of it, Howe cannot wait to start coaching the £16.5m man, who is by far the most entertaining player at Newcastle.
As quoted by Football Daily, the Magpies boss said: “Really really pleased to be working with Maxi. He’s a very, very unique talent, game winner, a real difference maker for us.
“I’m really excited to figure out ways to get him to play at his best levels, and his response in the two days (training) has been excellent.”
Some managers may be wary of working with such a flamboyant talent, who can often put the ball at risk when attempting his daring tricks.
There was also that infamous story from the Daily Mail‘s Craig Hope, which claimed that Saint-Maximin and Bruce had clashed at Little Benton.
Nevertheless, Howe isn’t phased by any of that, and it’s interesting to hear that Newcastle’s No.10 has been excellent in training so far.
Eddie Howe can work wonders with Allan Saint-Maximin at Newcastle
Howe clearly has a talent when developing attackers.
It was under his guidance that Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser made Premier League history, as they became the division’s most dangerous duo in 2019 with their goal combinations.
That season, Fraser scored seven goals and provided 14 assists in the Premier League, which is quite remarkable – those are Eden Hazard numbers, in our view.
Clearly, Howe knows what he’s doing with wingers, which bodes well for Saint-Maximin and his hopes of adding more goals to his game.
If Howe can make the 24-year-old even more dangerous, the Magpies may soon have a £100m player on their hands like Jack Grealish.
Keep an eye on the Frenchman under Howe – he could truly blossom.
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