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Manchester United and Liverpool are worried about Newcastle, according to former England defender Jamie Carragher. Carragher has chosen Magpies boss Eddie Howe as his manager of the calendar year after the 45-year-old took his side from the Premier League relegation zone to the top four in less than 12 months.
“Howe has started like a coach in it for the long haul, determined to be the one to deliver the success rather than laying the foundations for a successor,” Carragher wrote in The Telegraph. “He is so far ahead of schedule that members of the traditional ‘big six’ are worried.
“At the start of each season, two clubs out of Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal know they will miss out on the Champions League. Because of Newcastle, that will soon turn to three of them having to adjust to the Europa League.”
Newcastle have lost just one match this season and have recorded victories over the likes of Tottenham and Chelsea, as well as securing draws against Manchester City and Manchester United. But Carragher thinks the north east giants aren’t yet ready to compete for the Premier League title.
Newcastle have turned their fortunes around since appointing Eddie Howe as their boss (Image: GETTY)
“Talk of Newcastle winning the league this year is premature,” he continued. “They are not ready for that yet. But impressive victories such as that against Leicester City on Boxing Day show they have the momentum to challenge for the top four.
“Champions League qualification this season would be amazing, but I suspect Howe would be equally delighted if Newcastle win the Carabao Cup. It would certainly stir the emotions of the supporters. Newcastle have been in the Champions League before under Sir Kenny Dalglish and Sir Bobby Robson. Those days will return under the current owners.”
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Liverpool hero Jamie Carragher thinks Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has been the best manager of 2022 (Image: GETTY)
Newcastle were taken over by a Saudi-led consortium in the autumn of 2021 and have since shelled out vast sums of money to bolster their squad by bringing in players such as Kieran Trippier, Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman and Alexander Isak. But Carragher insists the Magpies’ upturn in fortunes should be attributed to their manager rather than their willingness to spend.
Given their resources, Newcastle are primed to get to the next level,” added the 44-year-old, who won 38 caps for England. “What was less clear was how soon. It is the quality of their coach - not the size of the bank balance - that is leading them there quicker than expected.”