A couple of pundits have argued that Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe “could manage” Premier League rivals Manchester City next.
Howe has done a brilliant job at Newcastle and has plenty of credit in the bank after he masterminded their Carabao Cup final triumph against Liverpool before the international break.
The Englishman was under pressure last season, but the pressure on him has eased this term as Newcastle‘s trophy drought has ended, while they are also challenging for Champions League qualification.
Five sides are set to qualify for next season’s Champions League and sixth-placed Newcastle sit one point adrift of fifth-placed Man City with a game in hand.
Man City’s struggles have opened the door for rivals to qualify for the Champions League and despite recently signing a new contract, Pep Guardiola has been backed to leave “before next season” for two reasons.
On talkSPORT, presenter Jim White said: “If Pep Guardiola leaves Man City, I couldn’t see them bringing in an English manager.”
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However, pundit Danny Murphy disagreed. He added: “Eddie Howe could manage at Man City.”
To which, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan continued: “He’s an exception. There is an argument for Eddie Howe. But yet again, it is a different dynamic.
“Newcastle have come from a position where the ownership model brought out such a reaction from the fanbase.
“The currency that’s gone behind Newcastle in terms of the energy behind the team because anybody but [Mike] Ashley came in, and the fact they’ve bought well and Eddie has done a decent job.
“But when you go to the champions of England or a club that’s won the Premier League five times in the last decade, the expectations are very different.”
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Last month, Howe explained why he thinks Guardiola’s Man City are “still the benchmark” for other Premier League sides to match.
“I don’t think you can necessarily look at their form over that period of time. I think you have to look at it over a much longer period of time,” Howe said.
“They have been sensational for so many seasons, which is so difficult to do at this level because of the standard of the other teams.
“You never know what is going to happen when you go to any stadium in the Premier League now, so I think that is producing something very interesting this year – but Manchester City are a good team.
“Statistically, they have been very strong at home. They are still the benchmark for me and we will have to produce our best performance to try to get something from this match.”