Rafa Benitez and Eddie Howe comparisons bear closest inspection | OneFootball

A lot of similarities between Rafa Benitez and Eddie Howe.

I am specifically talking about Newcastle United here.

I am not really interested in what they did elsewhere, not in this article anyway.

So what about Rafa Benitez and Eddie Howe, what would I point to as the similarities?

When it comes to Newcastle United they both…

Inherited a shocking shambles thanks to the way Mike Ashley had been running NUFC.

Replaced clueless managers who should never ever have been employed in the first place.

The fans very quickly recognised that these were excellent managers.

The supporters also very quickly appreciated the pair were also great people, with admirable integrity.

Both of them turned Newcastle United around and did the best possible job in the circumstances they had been dealt.

Specifically

What I wanted specifically to do here, is to look at one specific area of their managerial skills.

What they managed to do when up against the very best.

This was sparked by Saturday and the superb Eddie Howe plan for the Manchester City match, which was clearly something he had worked on intensively in the days leading up to this game, the hard work on the training ground paying dividends.

It was very… Rafa Benitez.

These are the last 20 matches when Newcastle United have faced Manchester City at St James’ Park

Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 1 (2006/07)

Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 2 (2007/08)

Newcastle United 2 Manchester City 2 (2008/09)

Newcastle United 1 Manchester City 3 (2010/11)

Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 2 (2011/12)

Newcastle United 1 Manchester City 3 (2012/13)

Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 2 (2013/14 – League Cup)

Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 2 (2013/14)

Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 2 (2014/15)

Newcastle United 1 Manchester City 1 (2015/16)

Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 1 (2017/18)

Newcastle United 2 Manchester City 1 (2018/19)

Newcastle United 2 Manchester City 2 (2019/20)

Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 2 (2019/20 – FA Cup)

Newcastle United 3 Manchester City 4 (2020/21)

Newcastle United 0 Manchester City 4 (2021/22)

Newcastle United 3 Manchester City 3 (2022/23)

Newcastle United 1 Manchester City 0 (2023/24 – League Cup)

Newcastle United 2 Manchester City 3 (2023/24)

Newcastle United 1 Manchester City 1 (2024/25)

Conclusions

Manchester City have been the very best these past near couple of decades.

So when they have visited St James’ Park, as fans we have relied on whoever the manager in charge at the time was, to have a strategy for this fixture, to get a positive result against the odds.

These are the records of Rafa Benitez and Eddie Howe when Manchester City have played at St James’ Park

Rafa Benitez

Played 3 Won 1 Drawn 1 Lost 1

Eddie Howe

Played 5 Won 1 Drawn 2 Lost 2

Played 8 Won 2 Drawn 3 Lost 3