A brilliantly successful operation by Eddie Howe which once once more confirms his extraordinary tactical faculties. Renowned for advancing teams at the bottom of the table (Bournemouth, Burnley), he restored the confidence of the Magpies by telling them to get the ball in the opposing camp. From a moribund team and folded in front of its rectangle, Howe transforms its players into beasts of high pressing. The team gains confidence as the results come back. The Magpies are saved and continue on their way. This season, the team becomes the one that most often recovers the ball in the final third. In the era of Manchester City Pep Guardiola and the delightful football of Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, such a statistic is far from trivial. Some unsuspected talents are revealed, such as Miguel Almiron. The Paraguayan, an anonymous MLS midfielder until 2019, even became the Premier League player of the month in October, following a series of seven goals in seven games. Offensively, a surgical execution of the set pieces makes them difficult to play, especially since they remain impregnable behind, making St. James’ Park the first fortress in England. In sixteen games, they have conceded only eleven goals.
