Wednesday night’s narrow win over Everton marked something of a landmark for Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe.
The Miguel Almiron-inspired victory against Frank Lampard’s side was Howe’s 38th game in charge of the Magpies, a figure that marks the same duration as an entire Premier League season. That allows us to assess just how big an impact Howe has made since he was chosen as the successor to Steve Bruce last November.
The Magpies boss has benefitted from significant support in the transfer market with the United hierachy allowing him to spend over £230m on the likes of Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and club record signing Alexander Isak over his first two transfer windows. But focusing solely on the success of his additions would ignore the improvement Howe and his coaching staff have coaxed out of the likes of Joelinton, Fabian Schar and Wednesday night’s match-winner Almiron.
With a full Premier League season’s worth of fixtures now complete in Howe’s reign, we look at how the table would look if a ‘season’ had got underway on the day he was appointed at St James Park.
The Magpies boss has benefitted from significant support in the transfer market with the United hierachy allowing him to spend over £230m on the likes of Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and club record signing Alexander Isak over his first two transfer windows. But focusing solely on the success of his additions would ignore the improvement Howe and his coaching staff have coaxed out of the likes of Joelinton, Fabian Schar and Wednesday night’s match-winner Almiron.
5. Fulham (19th, promoted)
19 points, -1 goal difference Photo: Tom Dulat
6. Burnley (18th, relegated)
27 points, -13 goal difference Photo: Gareth Copley
7. Southampton (17th)
38 points, -34 goal difference
8. Everton (16th)
38 points, -26 goal difference Photo: Stu Forster