Soccer Football - Carabao Cup - Semi Final - Second Leg - Newcastle United v Southampton - St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain - January 31, 2023 Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe celebrates with staff after the match Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
Journalist Jordan Cronin believes Newcastle United losing tactician Mark Leyland will be a huge blow for Eddie Howe.
The Lowdown: Newcastle’s progress not going unnoticed
Newcastle appeared to pull off a major coup at the end of 2021 by luring the highly regarded Leyland to Tyneside to help Eddie Howe get the Magpies firing and moving in the right direction.
Having arrived from Liverpool, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp even spoke highly of Leyland as he left Anfield to join the Magpies, who were just at the start of their current journey, and he has helped Howe guide the team to a Carabao Cup final.
However, just one full season looks to have been enough for Leyland to prove he’s one of the best tactical brains in English football, as it’s been reported that Manchester City have managed to convince him to join the Citizens after this campaign.
The Latest: Losing Leyland will be huge for Howe
While many may not know of Leyland as he never gets much praise on camera, the fact that Howe has openly praised him in recent times and that the champions of England want him shows how great he is at his job, which Cronin spoke about on the Loaded Mag YouTube channel.
He said: “It’s a massive blow because the way Newcastle have set up tactically against sides has been because of Mark Leyland. Eddie Howe has spoken about him publicly and really praised him, and he also received a lot of praise from Jurgen Klopp when he first left Liverpool to come to Newcastle, so I think when two managers of their calibre speak about a person like that, he obviously has a lot about him.
“It’s a massive blow in terms of losing someone like him on the backroom team, but the good thing with Newcastle now – you’d certainly go and back Eddie Howe to go and find a good replacement [for] Mark Leyland.”
The Verdict: Big shoes to fill
Many people may see Howe and Jason Tindall as the brains behind Newcastle’s rise to the top four in England, but for Leyland to be poached by Man City would suggest he has also played a huge role in their recent success.
However, as Cronin spoke about, with the likes of Howe and Dan Ashworth working on Tyneside and the success that’s been brought about under their stewardship, fans shouldn’t worry about them finding a suitable replacement.
Leyland isn’t leaving until the summer, so Newcastle and their fans have no need to worry at the moment, especially with a lot of the club’s focus on the Carabao Cup final this Sunday as they look to finally end their trophy drought.
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