The view from Bournemouth ahead of their visit to Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon
Andoni Iraola, manager of AFC Bournemouth greets Newcastle United's Eddie Howe
Andoni Iraola, manager of AFC Bournemouth greets Newcastle United's Eddie Howe(Image: Getty Images)
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The visit of Bournemouth to St James' Park on Saturday afternoon to face Newcastle United is a match laced with narrative.
They are two clubs intertwined by their success under head coach Eddie Howe, with the Magpies boss still revered on the South Coast for taking them from League Two to the top half of the Premier League across two spells in charge.
Of course, Howe is right up there in the pantheon of Newcastle's best ever managers after securing Champions League qualification twice in three seasons and securing the club's first major domestic trophy for 70 years.
But the Magpies' poor Premier League form this season has seen the pressure on his position ramp up this week and, despite retaining the backing of United's decision makers, the man in the opposite dugout is currently the bookmakers' favourite to replace him if a change was to be made at Newcastle.
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So the last thing Howe needed heading into this fixture was Bournemouth's announcement this week that Iraola will leave the club at the end of the season to pursue a new challenge, meaning he will be free to attain for any clubs looking for a new manager.
Athletic Club and Crystal Palace have already been heavily linked with his services and the reason he will be in such high demand is testament to the job he's done across three seasons at the Vitality Stadium.
Having arrived at Bournemouth off the back of punching above his weight while manager of Rayo Vallecano, Iraola equalled Howe's achievement of a Premier League high ninth placed finish last term.
The two managers will face off on Saturday lunchtime and it will be hard to temper the feeling that there will be a little more than three points at stake.
"Iraola has done a superb job at the Cherries, and has helped the side move confidently on from Howe (with a few bosses in between)," Alexander Smith, Bournemouth reporter for the Bournemouth Daily Echo, told Chronicle Live.
"He has got them looking up the table rather than down it, and I believe if he can earn them a European spot this season, he will bring himself into the conversation with Howe for that ‘greatest boss’ tag."
Bournemouth head into the clash unbeaten in 12 matches and, like Newcastle, still harbour hopes of qualifying for European football next season.
The Cherries are two points below eighth placed Everton and can put the death knell on Newcastle's European hopes, with the Magpies five points adrift of the Toffees heading into this weekend.
"I think they can," Smith said when asked if there is a belief Bournemouth can qualify for Europe next season.
"If they use the news from this week in a positive way, I think the squad can get themselves up for the final six games of the campaign to help Iraola finish on a high.
"Five of the six marches are against teams below them in the league and they went unbeaten across those five in the first half of the season, so there is certainly reason to be optimistic.
"A club record 12-game unbeaten run heading into this weekend also shows their momentum, and if they can carry that through to the end of the season, they could well find themselves in a European spot."
There are parallels of the way Howe's tenure at Bournemouth ended to the way things are panning out at Newcastle now.
Howe achieved unprecedented success at the Vitality Stadium but his time at the club ultimately ended in relegation from the Premier League. While Newcastle's prospects aren't that bleak, it is a tale that feels eerily familiar after a bruising season.
"I think so," Smith replied when asked if the end of Howe's Bournemouth reign was mirroring his current struggles at Newcastle.
"He left Bournemouth after a relegation which felt like an awful way to part with the club’s greatest boss, but there was a definite feeling that the time was right."
With all that considered, optimism is high that Bournemouth can continue their excellent recent record against Newcastle this afternoon.
"I always feel optimistic heading to Newcastle for some reason, and the past two visits have done nothing to dampen that," Smith finished.
"I think it’ll be an interesting game particularly with the dynamics around the two bosses, and I hope Bournemouth can get a result. I’m going for a second 2-1 away win on the bounce."