Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has received more praise from another Premier League counterpart as Manchester United chief Erik ten Hag became the latest top flight manager to wax lyrical about the Magpies.
Few would have thought Newcastle would be sat above the Red Devils heading into the winter break but a stellar start to the season on Tyneside means other bosses are now sitting up and taking note of Howe's men.
Ten Hag, who has Manchester United sat in fifth, only arrived in England over the summer but has noticed quickly how Howe has transformed the culture at St James' Park with some shrewd investments following the £300m takeover.
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“I look at the competition around the Premier League, They all have the opportunity to invest," Ten Hag told the Athletic. "It’s a tough competition between seven or eight clubs.
“That’s a change in circumstances when you compare with five or 10 years ago – the competition is much tougher. Newcastle are coming, even West Ham, maybe not now in the table, but they have huge investment, Spurs definitely, and then City, Chelsea and Liverpool, I don’t need to talk about them.”
“They (Newcastle) have done well. They did the right investments and that is what you have to value. Make the right environment and culture and he (Eddie Howe) has done really well.”
Ten Hag's praise comes weeks after Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola heaped praise on Howe and his Newcastle side. The Magpies held the Premier League champions to a 3-3 draw back in August and are now just two points behind them ahead of domestic football returning this month.
"They're a contender, a contender to be there,” said Guardiola. “The manager's Eddie Howe – and you know how good he is. With the new players that come, and the way they play, brave.
"There’ll be a lot of teams fighting for the Champions League, fighting for the title. Look now, Newcastle is another part of this, is already there."
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