Eddie Howe, known for his measured demeanour, delivered a passionate team talk to inspire Newcastle to a 2-0 victory over Manchester United in 2023, using the opposing manager's own words to fire up his squad. The former Newcastle boss is now being tipped as a potential successor to Michael Carrick at Old Trafford.
Howe's Rallying Cry
In footage from Amazon Prime Video's 'We Are Newcastle United' docuseries, Howe relayed comments made by United manager Erik ten Hag to his players. He said: "My final message today: I'm going to do something I rarely do. But I felt upon hearing the comments, I needed to relay it to you. So comments from their [United's] manager."
Howe then quoted ten Hag's remarks about Newcastle: "They have the lowest ball-in-play time in the league and are quite successful at slowing the game down. It's an annoying team to play against, so we have to find a way to play against them. So it's up to us that we get the speed in the game and we are also dependent on the refereeing as well."
He added: "Why am I telling you that? If they want a quick game coming here, let's f*****g give it to them. Let's blow them away with our running, let's be intense in every action that we do, let's make it a quick game. Let's go."
Victory and Record
Newcastle won the match 2-0 thanks to late strikes from Joe Willock and Callum Wilson, sparking a run of three successive wins in their head-to-head encounters with United. Howe's overall record against United stands at eight wins from 21 meetings, with six of those coming in his final eight matches as Newcastle manager.
The Magpies had lost to United in the League Cup final in February 2023 before that league victory. Howe left Newcastle after five years in the north-east and was succeeded by Matthias Jaissle during the summer.
Carrick Under Pressure
United's current slump has intensified speculation about Carrick's future, with the team winless in seven matches following a 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League on Tuesday. Howe is among the leading contenders to take over should the club part ways with Carrick.
While Howe's address lacked the intensity of Sir Alex Ferguson's legendary hairdryer treatment, it demonstrated his ability to understand what to communicate and how to deliver it. A managerial shake-up appears all but certain for United should their current form continue.
