“A lot of people within the club...” – Keith Downie drops big Eddie Howe claim at Newcastle

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has ‘impressed a lot of people’ within the club as well as outsiders, according to Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie.

The 44-year-old was hired as Steve Bruce’s successor in November and has overseen a dramatic turnaround in results and performances since, guiding the Magpies up the Premier League table.

Bruce was relieved of his duties after picking up just three points from Newcastle’s opening eight top-flight fixtures, leaving them in the relegation zone and facing the prospect of spending next term in the Championship.

The St. James’ Park outfit managed to hold on to draws against Crystal Palace and Brighton either side of a 3-0 defeat by Chelsea while the club’s hierarchy attempted to bring in a new permanent boss.

Following discussions with Villarreal manager Unai Emery, the Newcastle chiefs moved on to Howe, and his arrival has proved to be an astute appointment.

Although the English tactician only claimed one victory from his first nine league games at the helm, the Toon Army’s form since the turn of the year has been outstanding.

Newcastle have picked up 20 points from a possible 30 throughout 2022, meaning they are currently sitting in 14th position in the Premier League standings, nine points above the bottom three.

The transformation that Howe has headed up in the North East has undoubtedly been boosted by the arrival of five acquisitions in the January transfer window.

Newcastle’s new mega-rich owners splashed out over £90 million to bolster the first-team squad over the winter, but even so, Downie was ‘not expecting’ the club’s fortunes to change so quickly.

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He told GiveMeSport: “I have to