Next Newcastle Manager Odds: After Eddie Howe

If Newcastle are going to replace Eddie Howe then bringing in a big-name, serial winner is quite possibly the direction of travel. Massimiliano Allegri certainly ticks both of those boxes and he’s enjoyed a glut of success with a famous black and white club previously.

The club we’re referring to is obviously Juventus with whom Allegri won 12 trophies, including five league titles, as well as reaching two Champions League finals.

That ability to compete for the biggest trophies on a consistent basis, whilst showing flexibility in his approach to the game, will be a huge appeal to any club looking to hire him.

Allegri’s tactical nous, pedigree amongst the elite of the game and the pull he’d have in the transfer market could really elevate Newcastle from a top seven or eight team into a consistent big-hitter.

Marco Rose has been floated as a Newcastle managerial contender in recent months and you can see why. Rose has a good body of work behind him in Germany having produced high-octane and largely successful football at Monchengladbach, Dortmund, Leipzig and, prior to that, in Austria as well.

A career win percentage of 58% is seriously impressive given the clubs Rose has managed too, particularly considering Howe has never hit that figure at any of the club’s he has been at.

With Rose not a household name in England, some fans might see the appointment as an underwhelming one but, in truth, several thought that about Howe back in November 2021. There are plenty of examples where fan first-impressions are well wide of the mark; this could be another.

In the here and now, Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t feel like a gettable candidate for Newcastle; he’s Head Coach of the USMNT and there is almost no chance he leaves them ahead of next summer’s World Cup. Of course, Newcastle aren’t in the market for a manager right now and that is why Pochettino becomes a potential successor to Howe.

Pochettino was lauded for his work at Southampton and Tottenham, where he made the latter a regular contender at the top end of the table albeit without bagging silverware, whilst his jobs at PSG and Chelsea weren’t exactly disasters either; he recorded win percentages of 65 and 51% respectively whilst lifting three trophies at PSG.

The real thing that gives this link legs though is Newcastle’s Sporting Director, Paul Mitchell. Mitchell worked with ‘Poch’ at both Southampton and Tottenham with the pair known to work well together. Could Newcastle suffer an underwhelming season next year and Pochettino leave USA post-World Cup?

Jose Mourinho might be one of the best managers of all time but, even admirers of his work, can see that his career trajectory is on the wane. That said, his name being linked with any vacancy at St James’ Park is inevitable.  

Mourinho has an extensive track record of delivering silverware and has the charisma and charm to dominate pressrooms and boardrooms alike. With that in mind, you can see certain hierarchies being sold on the idea of rekindling that “Special One” magic.

With the Portuguese having strong links to Sir Bobby Robson, he’s often talked up Newcastle and their fans with what has felt like an opportunity to manage them one-day presenting itself.

It’s not a bet we’d place but it’s one the bookies will almost certainly offer.