Newcastle United's under-pressure boss admits he must get better at dealing with the stress
Eddie Howe the head coach / manager of Newcastle United reacts during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Manchester City and Newcastle United
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe(Image: (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images))
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Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe admits he is still developing as a manager and has identified the biggest weakness he has in the job.
Howe has been a head coach now for almost 18 years, starting at Bournemouth in 2008. Still just 48 years old, he has a wealth of experience at all levels of the game and became the man to have led Newcastle in the Champions League more than any other this season.
The Magpies manager has come under scrutiny this season for the first time but has remained cool, calm and collected despite some criticism swirling around him. A self-confessed workaholic, however, Howe admits that he doesn't always relieve the stress of his job in the right way.
"That's probably, I'd say, my weakness," he said. "The job now is such that you are in high demand all the time and you are being evaluated by everybody in every moment.
"I think you need to be really resilient, that's one big strength that you need., but also you need to look after your body and look after yourself. That's certainly a long-term one for me that I have to get better at."
Howe is hoping he has come through the most difficult moments at Newcastle this season. A run of poor results culminated in a disappointing defeat at home to Brentford, after which he spoke out about needing to improve in the job.
It wasn't just on the manager, however. United's senior players such as Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimaraes grouped together and rallied behind their leader, showing that he has their full support.
That backing was the end result of years of support Howe has given them. The United boss is renowned as being a great man manager and that has shown in the relationships he has built within his squad.
"I believe in honest communication and sometimes difficult conversations," he added. "If I tell a player what I truly think, sometimes they might not like it but ultimately you earn their respect and their trust. From those difficult conversations sometimes relationships can grow.
"You try and do the right thing even in difficult moments. In those tough times is where they'll probably judge you the most. I think that's when you've got to be true to yourself and conduct yourself in the right way."
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