Eddie Howe Backed To Beat Pep Guardiola To EPL Manager Of The Season Award

Former Newcastle United and Liverpool left-back Jose Enrique believes that Eddie Howe deserves to win the Premier League Manager of the Season award.

Robert Summerscales | May 24, 2023

Eddie Howe Backed To Beat Pep Guardiola To EPL Manager Of The Season Award /

Former Newcastle United and Liverpool left-back Jose Enrique believes that Eddie Howe deserves to win the Premier League Manager of the Season award.

Newcastle finished 11th last season, having been 19th when Howe joined the club in November 2021.

But the Magpies now occupy third place in the table with four days to go until the end of the 2022/23 campaign.

Howe has led Newcastle to 70 points from 37 EPL games so far this season and his team are already guaranteed a place in the next edition of the UEFA Champions League.

Voting closed for the Manager of the Season award on Monday and the winner will be announced on May 30.

Howe was one of six nominees - alongside Mikel Arteta, Roberto De Zerbi, Unai Emery, Pep Guardiola and Marco Silva.

Enrique sees Howe as the standout candidate, even though Guardiola's City recently clinched the EPL title after winning 12 games in a row.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe pictured after his team's 2-2 draw at Leeds in May 2023 — Eddie Howe is among the nominees for the Premier League Manager of the Season award :: IMAGO/PA Images/Mike Egerton

"It is more difficult to do what Eddie has done than what Pep has done this season," Enrique told SafeBettingSites.

"Even if Newcastle were to finish fifth, people will still be like, 'Wow, what a great season.' What Pep has done is incredible, but Eddie deserves it."

One of the star players for Newcastle this season has been Swedish forward Alexander Isak.

Isak has scored 10 goals in 21 EPL appearances for the Magpies and Enrique believes that the 23-year-old has the potential to become a club legend.

But he said: "It is too early for Alexander Isak to be compared to Alan Shearer.

"He does really well as a striker and plays on the left wing.

"The problem with him is his injuries. If he can stay injury free, then he will become a Newcastle legend for sure.

"But to compare him to [David] Ginola, Shearer and [Kevin] Keegan, he needs more time at Newcastle before we can ask that question again."

Published May 24, 2023

ROBERT SUMMERSCALES

Robert Summerscales launched FanNation Futbol in February 2022. Rob is a British journalist who previously spent two years on the sports desk at the Daily Mail in London, having earlier served as editor of CaughtOffside.com. He has been to the last two FIFA Men's World Cups, in Russia and Qatar, and is looking forward to completing his hat-trick in North America in 2026.