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Writer's pictureTony McLaughlin

Eddie Howe (Part 3)


Eddie Howe is an outstanding candidate for the Celtic Head Coach position and in my opinion any Head Coach position.


I explained in Part 1 that his Achievements are excellent and are a valid reason on why he would be great for Celtic and in Part 2 I mentioned how he has so much Potential.


Part 3


Resources


As mentioned in Part 1 and Eddie Howe’s achievements he did so under difficult circumstances in regards to resources.


When he first took over Bournemouth the club had a transfer embargo and he couldn’t sign anyone. He didn’t even have a coaching team at that time. Then as they progressed through the leagues they were up against clubs with bigger budgets.


Eddie Howe didn’t moan about player budgets and he was happy to work with the budgets he had.


He openly talks about how he was happy to work with the budgetary constraints imposed upon him.


Many Managers would struggle at Celtic to work with a lower budget while at the same time having high demands set on them. Eddie Howe would be a good fit for us in this aspect of the role.


There seems to be a recent narrative about Eddie Howe and bad expensive signings but this Bournemouth Podcast (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YF2g-2Fr_YI) blows that reputation away as they look at every single signing and it is clear that Howe has generated income by developing players. In their review the guys were doing so from a very critical eye and they had only a few signings that could be criticised with quite a few that were viewed as God like signings.


Their final list below;


Remember he was making these signings from a position of being up against stronger teams with a bigger budget so there was also going to be an element of high risk/reward in there. Some of the signings regarded as poor didn't actually cost him a high transfer fee.


Some transfers to note;


Unprofitable

- Jordan Ibe bought for £16.2m and given a free transfer

- Max Gradel bought for £9m and sold for £1.8m

- Brad Smith bought for £3.24m and given a free transfer

- Lewis Grabban bought for £8.42m and sold for £6.12m

- Glenn Murray bought for £4.86m and sold for £3.15m

- Benik Afobe bought for £11.97m and sold for £10.26m

- Lee Tomlin bought for £3.87 and sold for £3.15m


Profitable

- Lys Mousset bought for £5.85m and sold for £10m

- Joshua King got on a free and sold for £6m

- Tyrone Mings bought for £10.17m and sold for £20.07m

- Matt Ritchie bought for £0.5m and sold for £10.8m

- Callum Wilson bought for £3.33m and sold for £20.03m

- Aaron Ramsdale bought for £0.5m and sold for £18.5m

- Nathan Ake bought for £20.52m and sold for £40.77m


A profit of £21.39m on the above players.


Market value of Eddie Howe's teams (according to TransferMarkt.co.uk);

- 2008/2009 in League 2. £2.4m which was 15th. (Team finished 21st avoiding relegation).

- 2009/2010 in League 2. £1.6m which was 16th. (Team finished 2nd gaining automatic promotion).

- 2010/2011 in Championship (with Burnley). £35m which was 8th. (Team finished 8th).

- 2011/2012 in Championship (with Burnley). £29m which was 11th. (Team finished 13th).

- 2012/2013 in League 1. £8m which was 6th. (Team finished 2nd gaining automatic promotion).

- 2013/2014 in Championship. £15m which was 18th. (Team finished 10th avoiding relegation).

- 2014/2015 in Championship. £19m which was 17th. (Team were Champions).

- 2015/2016 in English Premier. £66m which was 20th. (Team finished 16th).

- 2016/2017 in English Premier. £93m which was 19th. (Team finished 9th).

- 2017/2018 in English Premier. £104m which was 17th. (Team finished 12th).

- 2018/2019 in English Premier. £155m which was 15th. (Team finished 14th).

- 2019/2020 in English Premier. £280m which was 12th. (Team finished 18th).


The above should dispel any myths that Eddie Howe only achieved success with Bournemouth because he was bankrolled.


8 of the 12 seasons finishing higher than the Market Value position of his team. On the 3 that he didn't one was the first year when he took over in January with the team 2nd bottom, one was in 2011/2012 with Burnley which he was dealing with the death of his mother and the 2019/2020 season where he had a few key injuries to deal with.


Key highlights though are winning promotion in 2010, 2013 and 2015 with Market Value positions of 16th, 6th and 17th, staying in the English Premier League with a Market Value team that was 20th and achieving 9th in the English Premier League with a team with a Market Value of 19th.


Also as well as working within lower budgets working at Celtic brings high demands and Eddie Howe is used to this as he eludes to here ..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEaEpFu4Pow&t=174s .... on the demands of promotion from the Chairman.


It is not easy for Celtic playing in Scotland to attract Elite Managers and even if we do we struggle to match their ambition. As happened with Rodgers and he ultimately left when he knew the club weren’t going to buy the players he wanted. Apart from the fact Benetiz wouldn't be here long term no matter what if he came .... could you imagine him being happy with any financial restrictions in the future?


Eddie Howe is as good a Manager we could get that wouldn’t get frustrated working within the budgetary constraints we have or the high demands we have. This would also allow him to be here for the long term.




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2 Comments


Brian Fearon
Brian Fearon
Mar 16, 2021

I thought Eddie Howe was going to Crystal Palace in the summer when Roy Hogson retires?

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Tony McLaughlin
Tony McLaughlin
Mar 16, 2021
Replying to

Hi Brian he might well do. I hope not though and I hope we can persuade him to come to us.

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