For all that his achievements have repeatedly been underplayed, Gareth Southgate will surely eventually be cherished for leading England to successive European Championship finals and the semi-finals of the World Cup. When it comes to the club game, however, by becoming the first Englishman to lead his side to success in a major final since Harry Redknapp won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008, Howe has elevated himself above all his current peers.
He will lead England one day, indeed had he shown any kind of desire to move into international management last summer, the FA might well have felt compelled to shelve their interest in Tuchel to pursue Howe. For now, though, the 47-year-old is settled and content at Newcastle, sensing very strongly that he remains in the formative stages of a journey that could take him and his club pretty much anywhere.
England’s loss is very much Newcastle’s gain. As well as cementing his place in the domestic managerial pecking order, Sunday’s Carabao Cup final success also elevated Howe to a new position when it comes to managerial greats on Tyneside. In the space of 90 unforgettable minutes, Howe instantly became the most important manager of Newcastle’s modern-day history. A naturally self-effacing man, Howe tends to bridle at comparisons to Sir Bobby Robson, the homegrown great who led the Magpies in the Champions League, or Kevin Keegan, whose Entertainers almost claimed the Premier League title. He stands above them now though. Robson has his statue outside St James’; at some point, Howe will also be cast in granite.
How has he been able to succeed where so many before him have fallen short? Clearly, he has benefited from leading an extremely talented team, but there have been plenty of excellent Newcastle sides in the past that have been unable to end the trophy drought that had weighed the club down prior to the weekend. And while a final can always be something of a one-off, Howe’s wider record during his Tyneside tenure now more than enables him to inhabit a unique position. First season, pull away from the relegation zone having inherited an extremely perilous situation. Second, qualify for the Champions League and end a 20-year wait for an appearance at Wembley. Third, finish seventh despite a chronic injury situation and an inability to make significant transfer moves because of the Premier League’s financial rules. Fourth, win Newcastle’s first major domestic trophy since 1955.
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Howe has done all that because he has the perfect blend of attributes to lead Newcastle. While he might be a quiet, polite, respectful character, he understands the power of emotion. You have to, to manage at Newcastle, this chaotic rollercoaster of a club that veers from exhilarating highs to spirit-crushing lows, often in the course of an afternoon, let alone a season. Howe appreciates the importance of the passion that spills down from the St James’ Park stands and has always encouraged those around to have big expectations. “It’s not our job to stop the fans from dreaming,” he answered earlier this season, when asked about the possibility of winning silverware. There have been plenty of times in the past when it has seemed as though senior figures at Newcastle have been doing exactly that.
Howe gets the rhythms of life on Tyneside, appreciates the sense of uniqueness that Newcastle supporters wear as a badge of honour. He has actively encouraged the Wor Flags pre-match displays that have rapidly become a key part of the club’s identity and has helped ensure that the shift to Saudi Arabian ownership has strengthened rather than weakened the bond between club and fanbase.
So, that’s the emotional side, which can often be well-hidden. But Howe is also ice-cool, able to detach himself from the drama swirling around him in order to take the kind of hard-headed football decisions that have driven Newcastle up the table and enabled them to end their wait for silverware.
He is a football-obsessive devoted to his job. He is a supremely-talented coach and tactician, respected by those around and admired by his peers. He is a fantastic man-manager, inspiring his players to give everything for the cause. “He is a great man who works hard to give everything,” said Joelinton, whose relentless energy set the tone for Sunday’s Wembley win. “It has been an unbelievable journey together and I’m happy to give him the title.”
Howe improves players. Joelinton is a prime example – written off as a £40m flop of a centre-forward, now hailed as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the country – but he is not the only one. Martin Dubravka, Fabian Schar, Jacob Murphy – all written off in the past; all key contributors to the successful Carabao Cup run.
Sunday’s performance was Howe to a tee. His players were committed, focused and intense, blowing Liverpool away with the collective ferocity of their performance. But there were also tactical minutiae that had a major impact on the outcome. Tino Livramento constantly showing Mo Salah on the outside to prevent him from recording a single shot, Dan Burn pulling onto Alexis Mac Allister in order to head home the opener. Callum Wilson appearing in the closing stages to selflessly run the ball into the channels.
Earlier this season, as Newcastle stuttered through the opening months of the campaign, there were mutterings about Howe’s future. It was never any more than that, but it safe to say that sort of talk has been comprehensively silenced. Howe is now a Newcastle legend. Coach, leader, the man who ended 70 years of hurt. Sir Bobby would be the first to congratulate him. “Well done bonny lad, you did well.”