Eddie Howe recovery from Darlington setback has been extraordinary | OneFootball

Eddie Howe will never forget Darlington.

Eddie Howe taking charge of his first ever league match as a manager.

Over fifteen years later, today at Nottingham Forest it will be his 600th league match as a manager.

Eddie Howe is still just 46 years old!

Back in January 2009, a then 31 year old Eddie Howe travelled to Darlington with Bournemouth.

The rest, as they say, is history.

It always makes me laugh when clueless pundits, journalists and rival fans ask what Eddie Howe has ever achieved?

We saw this with the recent England shenanigans.

Eddie Howe had made it clear that he had zero interest in filling the England vacancy, stating many times he was only interested in continuing his project at Newcastle United.

Yet that didn’t stop so many unscrupulous characters, especially in the media, of still trying to belittle Eddie Howe. Trying to rubbish the idea that Eddie Howe was quite clearly by far the best candidate for that England job, if he had been in any way interested.

The unscrupulous characters scoffing ‘what has Eddie Howe ever achieved’? What trophies has he won, what European triumphs has he overseen and so on.

What makes it even more laughable is that when it comes to other managers and other clubs, these questions are rarely, if ever, posed.

Mikel Arteta had no managerial experience whatsoever when appointed at Arsenal.

Ange Postecoglou had only managed in small weak leaks, in Scotland, Japan and Australia, before Tottenham appointed him.

Enzo Maresca had only managed a handful of games in management in the Italian second tier before getting sacked, then got Leicester promoted when they had far better players and resources than their rivals last season, that was his managerial experience and achievements before Chelsea appointed him.

Why hasn’t Eddie Howe won the Premier League, domestic cups, a glittering CV in European competition?

This is so feeble, that line of reasoning.

It isn’t a level playing field, unless you are at one of a very small number of clubs, then there is a glass ceiling on what you can achieve. You can only succeed to the extent of the circumstances of where you are.

Which takes us back to Darlington in 2009.

Eddie Howe took over in mid-season with Bournemouth looking doomed and heading for non-league football.

Massive problems on and off the pitch, Bournemouth deducted 17 points for leaving administration without a Company Voluntary Agreement.

Yet after losing that away match at Darlington and the next one at Rotherham in his second league game in charge, Eddie Howe turned it around in remarkable fashion. The next 13 League Two matches brought eight wins, three draws and only two defeats. That effectively took them to safety despite the 17 points deduction, Bournemouth ended up fourth-bottom in 21st place, the two teams in 23rd and 24th dropping to non-league.

These have been the Eddie Howe career highlights in management:

2008/09 – Taking over mid-season somehow saving Bournemouth from the drop into non-league, despite a 17 points deduction.

2009/10 – Bournemouth promoted to League One.

2012/13 – Bournemouth promoted to the Championship.

2014/15 – Bournemouth promoted to the Premier League.

2015-2020 – Bournemouth played in the Premier League for five seasons despite the odds massively stacked against them, only relegated on the final day of the 2019/20 season when a number of results on that final day sent them down.

2021/22 – Took over mid-season with relegation looking all but certain for Newcastle United. Not only saving NUFC from relegation, Eddie Howe taking United to the third best form of all PL clubs across the entire 19 matches of the second half of that season.

2022/23 – Newcastle United finishing fourth and qualifying for the Champions League the first time for two decades. Newcastle also reaching their first cup final in 24 years.

2023/24 – Despite the worst season for injuries in the club’s entire history and the near season-long ban for Sandro Tonali, Eddie Howe still got Newcastle to finish within eight points of top four.

2024/25 – Who knows?

Eddie Howe turns 47 in 19 days times and his best days in management are ahead of him.

He has massively overachieved at Newcastle United so far, just as he did when rescuing Bournemouth from a drop to non-league and then taking them all through the divisions to the Premier League.

Given the time and the resources, Eddie Howe will be massively successful at Newcastle United in the years ahead. Just watch.