Grezza v Howe

[Alanstevensonsgloves]

Copied from a Mags page on fb....

Bradford Manager Graham Alexander has admitted he “didn’t like” Eddie Howe when the pair worked together at Burnley, ahead of being reunited on the touchline at St James’ Park tomorrow night!

“Eddie came in during January in the year after we got relegated from the Premier League. He had done a brilliant job at Bournemouth in his first spell there. We were mid-table with ambitions to get back up straight away but the season didn’t pan out that way. I was captain – but didn’t actually start a game under him. He wanted to go a different way with the team. There were a lot of senior players in that squad. I’m not talking about 29-30, but 34-35 and myself. I was 39 at the time. It was probably the most difficult period of my career under Eddie.I was caught in that crossfire between one team being created out of another after a new manager comes in. I was probably the biggest casualty of that, which I didn’t handle particularly well.

I was obviously desperate to play. Because of my age, I knew I didn’t have five or six years in front of me to enjoy football. But Eddie had his own plans for what he wanted to create at Burnley, which I understand now as a manager myself!

He was very coach-minded, he was on the grass every day working with the players and had a clear idea how he wanted them to play. But the period I had under him was difficult for me – and it probably was for Eddie as well coming to a new club and having that changeover. I’d obviously had a fantastic time at Burnley and been a really important player for them in the previous two or three seasons. But these things can happen.

I’ve got to be honest, I didn’t particularly like Eddie at the time and I’m sure he didn’t like me! I don’t think I handled that period great. Any lingering bad feeling disappeared when Alexander became a manager himself, with Howe having been one of the first people to send him a congratulatory message after he got his first permanent role as boss of Fleetwood Town

He welcomed me to the mad house! I’ve 100 per cent used that period from his perspective and mine to help me manage similar situations and try and learn from then. I didn’t understand at the time - but I totally understood the job Eddie had to do as soon as I became a manager.

We’ve had communication since, even in the last few months. He’s a brilliant manager who has had a fantastic career and will continue to have an amazing one. I’ll be looking forward to seeing him again. It was a difficult period for both of us, but one you have to go through as a player and certainly as a manager anyway.”

#NUFC #NUFCFans #NUFCNews #Newcastle #EPL #LeagueCup #Bradford #FBLifestyle
Paul | Magpie 24/7

[Goliath]

We all thought Grezza was the ultimate pro back then but from things I've heard since I don't think that was the case.
Charlie Austin did a podcast last week where he described Alexander as a 'whopper'.

The success of that team clearly went to their heads in hindsight and they overvalued their own importance. Howe did a brilliant job in removing the poison that had infiltrated the club rather than trying to pander to them like Laws

[ClaretTony]

We all thought Grezza was the ultimate pro back then but from things I've heard since I don't think that was the case.
Charlie Austin did a podcast last week where he described Alexander as a 'whopper'.

The success of that team clearly went to their heads in hindsight and they overvalued their own importance. Howe did a brilliant job in removing the poison that had infiltrated the club rather than trying to pander to them like Laws

That's spot on - Laws was treated badly by the players but he did pander to them so they tried it again with Howe but he just got rid of them. Laws fired Caldwell because he was captain but I'll always believe he got rid of the wrong man.

[Goliath]

That's spot on - Laws was treated badly by the players but he did pander to them so they tried it again with Howe but he just got rid of them. Laws fired Caldwell because he was captain but I'll always believe he got rid of the wrong man.

Has it softened your view on Howe? I remember you weren't his biggest fan but in hindsight it's hard to argue what an important task he undertook in removing that bunch of players from the club, regardless of results.

They'd have taken us into league 1.

In regards to your Caldwell comment, presumably it's Carlise who you think was the right man? I remember reading comments about him bullying Wade Elliott at the time. We also had issues with Robbie Blake under Laws and had constant whinging from Brian Jensen whenever he was out of the team.

It's amazing how we all just overlooked so much of it because we were fond of the players

[Papabendi]

Looks like of the two men, one had grown up faster and was more mature than the other.

[ClaretTony]

Has it softened your view on Howe? I remember you weren't his biggest fan but in hindsight it's hard to argue what an important task he undertook in removing that bunch of players from the club, regardless of results.

They'd have taken us into league 1.

In regards to your Caldwell comment, presumably it's Carlise who you think was the right man? I remember reading comments about him bullying Wade Elliott at the time. We also had issues with Robbie Blake under Laws and had constant whinging from Brian Jensen whenever he was out of the team.

It's amazing how we all just overlooked so much of it because we were fond of the players

I didn't like Howe at all and that view hasn't changed. But I did see the players at the end of season player of the year evenings treat him with utter contempt to be honest, turning up late and, shall we say, worse for wear.

I think Caldwell took the rap for a number of others to be honest because he was captain. One of the problems in fairness is that they'd got away with doing whatever they wanted with Coyle.