According to Sky Sports, Eddie Howe now is in prime position to take over the manager’s role at Newcastle United after former Arsenal manager Unai Emery declined the offer. Howe has been out of a job since leaving Bournemouth at the end of the 19/20 season after their relegation from the Premier League. Howe has been continuously linked with a return to the Premier League due to the fact that he took Bournemouth from the bottom of League two to the Premier League.

Also, Howe has always played with an attack first mindset, with his teams generally adopting a high line and dominating possession. This makes him a very attractive option for many Premier League teams. Howe generally preferred to use the 4-4-2 formation at Bournemouth although he was not very rigid with his tactics switching to the 4-1-4-1 and even the 5-4-1 at times. Let’s take a look at how Newcastle would line up if he chose to use the 4-4-2 formation initially.

Newcastle’s 4-4-2 formation under Eddie Howe

It might take sometime for the Newcastle players to adjust to the demands of the Howe’s 4-4-2 system. The fullbacks are expected to join the attacks constantly and the defence generally plays with a high line. After playing for such a long time under the reactive tactics of Steve Bruce, Eddie Howe might struggle to implement his philosophy at Newcastle. Considering that they are in a relegation battle this season, Howe might have to tweak his attack first mindset to suit Newcastle’s squad better.