Eddie Howe's next managerial move will attract plenty of interest in the North-East but it is fans in the North-West that have a keen eye on the former Toon chief's next big decision
Eddie Howe
Almost a year has passed since Eddie Howe distanced himself from the top job at Manchester United - but with Michael Carrick under fire at Old Trafford and the ex-Newcastle boss now available, the picture has changed significantly for the Carabao Cup-winning boss.
It remains to be seen whether Howe would be free to take up another Premier League job just yet, given his mutual departure from Newcastle involved compensation payments. The Magpies won't be paying the sought-after coach to compete against them and there will be clauses included in his termination agreement. However, with both Carrick, Roberto De Zerbi and Fulham's Alvaro Arbeloa all under pressure going into a three-week break, it is inevitable that Howe would be a candidate for all three posts.
Carrick's odds to be dismissed were slashed to 5/2 after an unconvincing 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage on Sunday while De Zerbi is win-less and anchored at the bottom of the table despite a £302m spending spree and a further two big loan deals. Yet the Man United job would be a clear attraction for any out of work manager and Howe is believed to be admired by the Red Devils' director of football Jason Wilcox.
Here we look at what could come next for Howe, just three months after he decided he'd taken Newcastle as far as he could.
Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, lifts the Carabao Cup Trophy
What has Howe said about Man United links in the past
Funnily enough, it is close to the one-year anniversary since Howe was asked about the Man United job amid talk of Ruben Amorim leaving Old Trafford. In the end Amorim held on until January 5 before he was fired after a drab 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Howe had said on October 4 last year: "I'm all in (at Newcastle). My commitment here is 100 per cent and always has been. My family is still here, and we are fighting every day to make a success of what we are doing."
Howe's Man United links were endorsed by club legend Roy Keane last January when he told Sky Sports: "I'd go with Eddie Howe. I like him. I like what he's done.
"He's managed a lot of games. When his teams are at it, they'll play good football. He has his critics, but I like what he's done at Newcastle. He's managed seven or 800 games. He's still a young man. I love his calmness. Maybe Man Utd need a little bit of that."
What's the bookies view?
Howe is the clear favourite for the Man United job with Paddy Power and Sky Bet seeing him as a 15/8 shot for the position. He's then followed by ex-Germany chief Julian Nagelsmann, former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and Sir Gareth Southgate, while ex-Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna and Fabian Hurzeler are available at longer odds.
Howe is also favourite to be the next England manager at 5/2 with Sky Bet with Pep Guardiola 10/3 and Mauricio Pochettino 7/1. The wait for the international role could be longer if Thomas Tuchel ticks off a few UEFA Nations League wins in the run-up to Euro 2028 on English shores.
Is Howe taking a year out?
It's unclear How long Howe wants to take out of the game, but he stated he was low on energy when resigning on July 31. Back then, Howe said: "After nearly five years of giving my life, heart and soul into the club with unrelenting energy, I feel that it is in the best interests of both myself and the club to step away, recharge and take a break.
"Although it’s been incredibly difficult to make this decision, I know in my heart that it’s the right one. I have always put the best interests of Newcastle before my own in every single decision I have made whilst I’ve been here, and this one is no different."
Howe felt that the gap between leaving Bournemouth in August 2020 to taking the Newcastle job in November 2021 was a little too long for his liking. And he is no fool, knowing that turning down top jobs is not something he can do at will.
It suggests he could be back in a Premier League dugout sooner rather than later.
Would Man United be the right job for Howe?
An interesting debate in truth, given that if it goes wrong, it could have implications for the England job moving forward.
There is obviously some rivalry between Newcastle and Man United, which Howe is well aware of, but that would arguably not be enough to stop him taking the job. It would be too good to turn down and worth the gamble despite England's fears.
In any case, Howe was not keen on the England job in summer 2024 after Gareth Southgate's exit because he wanted day-to-day involvement. Howe will be 49 at the end of November and - assuming the best - a successful stint at Man United could leave the England job open to him later in life if we are talking about a managerial Hollywood ending.
The answer has to be yes for Howe and his backroom team of Jason Tindall, Simon Weatherstone and Stephen Purches, who would surely jump at the chance at moving to Old Trafford.
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