According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle tried to hire Brendan Rodgers before deciding to appoint Eddie Howe.
Newcastle wanted Brendan Rodgers
Well, the Northern Irishman has revealed that he turned down two opportunities to leave Leicester as the pressure mounts on him at the King Power Stadium.
Rodgers was keen to stress the loyalty he has shown to the Foxes amid a difficult spell in the Midlands, with Leicester currently sitting 19th in the Premier League.
According to the Telegraph, the 49-year-old could even be sacked.
Rodgers did not mention which clubs he rejected, although the Daily Mail believe it was Arsenal and Newcastle who were snubbed.
The report claims that Newcastle tried to hire Rodgers after the Saudi Arabian takeover, but eventually turned to the unemployed Howe as it became apparent he would not be leaving Leicester.
Now, the Magpies are sitting comfortably in seventh under the 44-year-old as Leicester struggle down the bottom.
Newcastle hired better option than Brendan Rodgers
In our view, Howe is a better fit for Newcastle than Rodgers.
The Leicester boss is an excellent coach, although he seems to operate in short bursts of success before things start to unravel.
For example, Leicester were even being spoken about as title contenders in the 2019/20 campaign, while also narrowly missing out on Champions League football in successive campaigns, before this season’s nightmare.
In regards to Howe, he dragged Bournemouth from League Two into the Premier League, and seems far better suited to overseeing a long-term project, which is what Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi are aiming for.
We wouldn’t go as far as saying that Newcastle dodged a bullet, as Rodgers remains a fine manager, but Newcastle certainly hired the better option in terms of what they are hoping to achieve under the new ownership.
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