Two of Newcastle United’s young players have shown their appreciation for Magpies’ Head Coach Eddie Howe, after both were afforded Champions League debuts last month.
Alex Murphy and Leo Shahar, who are both full backs, played for the first time in Europe’s elite club competition last month at St. James’ Park, as Newcastle defeated Azerbaijani side, Qarabag FK.
Murphy described Howe as “brilliant”, adding that despite the difficulty of not making many appearances, the support given by Howe and his staff has been extremely beneficial.
“I’m still learning and training every day, and they’re always trying to help me”, Murphy made clear, highlighting the attention to detail that Howe has whilst coaching.
Shahar, who has more recently made the jump into the first team picture, stated that he decided to sign for Newcastle United to experience “moments like this, making my debut in the Champions League”. For 19 year old Shahar, the chance to grasp such an opportunity was one he simply could not turn down, and one that would not have been possible if not for Eddie Howe.
Since that victory against Qarabag, Howe has endured what has been without doubt, the most difficult period of his time in charge of Newcastle so far, following a 7-2 (8-3 on aggregate) loss at the Camp Nou against Barcelona, before a humiliating home loss against Sunderland, with the Black Cats completing a Premier League double over their North East neighbours.
The full time whistle at St. James’ Park following Sunderland’s triumph brought many audible boos inside the stadium, with some on social media calling for Howe to be relieved of his duties.
It is no secret that Newcastle’s Premier League form this season, has been below the standards set by Howe himself during the previous years of his tenure. The Magpies currently sit 12th in the table and are facing an uphill battle to qualify for any European competition. They are aided by those above them still being within touching distance, but Howe knows that he must find immediate solutions to the problems that have plagued Newcastle all season.
Following that, comments made by the club’s CEO, David Hopkinson, have, to some extent, changed the narrative regarding Howe’s future at the club. Newcastle could move in a different direction in the summer, and if so, they must find a coach willing to develop and give opportunities to young players, as Howe and his staff have done with Murphy and Shahar.
“All the support, all the individual coaches I have just push me on to be a better player”, Shahar said. “That’s boosted me to get the appearance tonight.”
Again, glowing praise for Newcastle’s youth setup, suggesting that Howe has created a clear pathway for those in the Academy to feed into the First Team. Whilst the long term project at the club may be coming to a crossroads, this system will undoubtedly be seen as a success, with maintaining and enhancing it likely to be a priority.
