Howe’s popularity may seem surprising. Currently, his only career honor is a Championship title with Bournemouth in 2015. Why then is the 46-year-old near the top of the shortlist for several big clubs?

Eddie Howe shows tactical maturity in early Premier League promise

Howe started coaching in his late 20s. The former defender ended his playing career early in 2007 after he suffered a serious knee injury. But Howe developed his coaching skills with Bournemouth’s reserve team. In January 2009, he landed the first-team job, aged just 31. 

He eventually led the club from League Two to the Premier League between 2009 and 2015. Only a brief one-year spell at Burnley interrupted Howe’s Bournemouth project. He completed this remarkable journey with the Cherries in 2014/15 as his side won the Championship.

During his Bournemouth reign, Howe earned plaudits for his coaching quality and intense style of play. He deployed a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 and generally used width and direct play to put the opposition under pressure. 

However, when the Cherries won promotion to the Premier League, Howe showed his adaptability to become a top English coach. Between 2015 and 2020, the former center-back used several formations, including a more progressive 3-4-3 wing-back formation in the 2017/18 campaign.

Learning from different areas of the game

After Howe left Bournemouth by mutual consent in August 2020, he continued to learn all he could at the highest level, not just in England. During his management hiatus, the 46-year-old traveled to Spain and Italy to observe coaching sessions led by Diego Simeone, Ernesto Valverde, Andoni Iraola and Maurizio Sarri.

Howe was proactive and suitably prepared to apply his learnings when the Newcastle managerial role arrived in November 2021. Since then Howe has led the Magpies to the EFL Cup final and 2023/24 Champions League group stages. 

It hasn’t always been plain sailing, as injury issues late in the 2023/24 campaign once again tested the Englishman’s tactical flexibility. Yet he was still able to lead Newcastle to a respectable seventh-place Premier League finish. 

Ultimately, Howe is a thoughtful coach, focused on the small details that win matches. His work rate and desire to develop, improve and keep learning are seemingly qualities that have caught the eye of some top clubs. 

Eddie Howe carries calm persona that is perfect for Premier League

Another noticeable quality that makes Howe an ideal candidate for the top jobs is his calm persona. The Newcastle manager has been unfazed by leading Newcatle’s rebuild under the controversial Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF). 

When quizzed on tough subjects in the media about sports washing and the club’s controversial third choice kit in the 2022/23 season – which bore the colors of the Saudi Arabian flag – Howe has been level-headed, articulate and answered respectfully. 

This composed approach would be suitable for some of the biggest jobs in soccer. More specifically, handling questions on cultural, societal and political issues would translate well to the England job. The media regularly confronted Gareth Southgate with questions on various non-footballing topics from racism to covid-19. Yet he replied in a similar measured, thoughtful manner. 

The relaxed approach is one that the players relate to also. Harvey Barnes has spoken of Howe’s support through off-field developments, like family, changing clubs and parenthood. Joe Willock also praised the Newcastle boss for his openness and support when he went through a difficult period at St James’ Park. 

Not mistaking calmness for a lack of intensity

However, those who play under Howe are also aware of the intensity that his soccer tactics require – a balance that not every manager can achieve at the elite level. Barnes and Willock, although complimentary of Howe’s leadership qualities, also explained how his messaging for on-field tactics is crystal clear.

Howe’s all-round qualities, knowledge and adaptability make him a rare commodity in modern football. He can blend progressive tactics, get the best out of his players and handle the media without creating sensational headlines.

It’s therefore clear as to why so many in the game admire the 46-year-old Englishman. He ticks a lot of boxes that are required at a top-tier job. The only question is if he wants to grow with Newcastle or test his skills in some of the biggest soccer coaching roles in England. 

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Following the reduction, and the likelihood that Pogba won’t return to Juventus, speculation over his next move has been rife. Unsurprisingly, interest from France, Italy and the Premier League has surfaced. 

However, following years of turmoil over his career, a move to the MLS could have several benefits for the former World Cup winner. 

Years in the Spotlight

Ever since Pogba moved from Le Harve to Manchester United in 2009, aged just 16, his soccer journey has been closely scrutinized.

There were high hopes that the midfielder would break into United’s first team under Sir Alex Ferguson. But, searching for more regular playing time, he moved to Serie A giants Juventus in 2012. 

In Turin, the Frenchman shined. He enjoyed a trophy-laden four seasons in Italy’s top flight. Between 2012 and 2016, Pogba won four consecutive Serie A titles and reached the 2015 Champions League final. 

Despite struggling upon his return to Old Trafford in 2016. Pogba continued to win accolades at the highest level. He played an integral role in France’s 2018 World Cup victory. In Russia, Pogba played six games and scored in the final – a 4-2 win over Croatia.

Yet Pogba has struggled to reach the lofty heights of his early career. Between the start of the 2021 campaign, the 31-year-old has played just 39 competitive soccer matches.

Off the field, the former Man United player has faced several controversies too. In 2022, he was subject to an extortion attempt by his brother, childhood friends and an organized gang. That group threatened Pogba to pay the sum of $15 million. The ordeal almost caused him to retire from soccer. 

A year later, Pogba’s substance ban took effect, and he hasn’t played since. The midfielder has protested his innocence. Pogba explained that he accidentally took the banned substance DHEA after a Florida doctor prescribed the drug. 

Why Paul Pogba Can Benefit from an MLS Move

There now appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel for Pogba and his soccer career. Although the French international cannot play until March, clubs are reportedly monitoring his situation. High-profile teams like Marseille and Barcelona appear eager to secure the midfielder’s services. He has also been linked with a move to his former club Man United. 

Such clubs come with high pressure though – something which Pogba may be keen to avoid following years of difficulty. 

Moreover, he would have little time to get up to full fitness in March and jump straight into highly competitive action at the highest level. Most European domestic seasons also end in May, offering him little playing time potential for the 2024/25 season.  

An alternative option is to join the MLS, where several clubs appear to be monitoring Pogba’s situation. He already has a residence in Miami. This has promoted speculation that the Frenchman may be tempted to join other former European stars, including Lionel Messi, at Inter Miami. 

With the 2025 MLS campaign set to begin in February, Pogba would get a full pre-season with a new club before missing just one month of the campaign. 

While such a move would be high-profile for the MLS, Paul Pogba would have less fan pressure compared to some of the hostile stadiums in Europe. It could be the ultimate environment for the former World Cup champion to just focus on soccer while interest in his situation in Europe dampens. 

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Arsene Wenger’s Gunners and Sir Alex Ferguson’s United battled to win the title a combined five times between 1999 and 2004. Chelsea, led by Russian money from Roman Abramovich, disrupted the status quo with back-to-back title wins in 2004/05 and 2005/06. Meanwhile, Liverpool was a top-four regular, notching fourth place or better eight times in the 2000s. 

All eras end though, and the emergence of Manchester City and Tottenham in the 2010s saw the traditional “Big 4” expand into the Premier League’s “Big 6.”

However, growing competition and City’s dominance under Pep Guardiola’s rule has seen the Premier League landscape shift once more. It may therefore be time to ditch the “Big 6” reference in this ultra-competitive age of elite soccer.

Growing Competition for the Premier League’s “Big 6”

Since 2020, the Premier League’s top six have become more varied year on year. During the 2010s, teams outside this group of elite clubs broke into the top six Premier League places on just five occasions. Moreover, Everton was the only side outside of the group to achieve this feat twice.

However, several teams have broken into higher positions during the 2020s. Leicester, Aston Villa, Brighton, Newcastle and West Ham have all disrupted the traditional club’s control over the leading six positions.

More unusual is that these teams have not spent fortunes to break into the top six. Previously, it was the biggest spenders that usually finished towards the top. When Chelsea won the Premier League between 2004 and 2006, it spent nearly $300 million across the two seasons. It was nearly double the amount from the next biggest spender, Liverpool ($112 million). 

Since 2020, five of the traditional “Big 6” have been among the biggest spenders in the Premier League. Yet only Manchester City has capitalized to maximum effect by winning all four titles in this decade so far. 

More recently, the emerging contenders toward the top have spent a fraction compared to the bigger teams. Leicester stands out as a club that has competed despite a significantly smaller budget. The Foxes have outlayed around $455 million in Premier League expenditure since 2019 and reached the top six in 2019/20 and 2020/21.

Before September’s international break, Brighton, Newcastle and Brentford nestled themselves among the Premier League’s top six following bright starts to the season. Meanwhile, the big spenders of Man United, Chelsea and Tottenham sit 10th or lower in the table. Realistically, this is likely to change as the season progresses. Yet, it is early evidence to show the Big Six does not run away with the top positions due to the increasing quality of other opponents.

Manchester City’s Increasing Dominance

Following Sheikh Mansour’s purchase of Manchester City in 2008, it wasn’t long before the Citizens were an established top-four club. After breaking into the Champions League qualification places in 2010/11, City remained the sole team among the Premier League’s “Big 6” to maintain a position in the top four ever since.

This consistency was enhanced when Guardiola became City boss in 2016. The Spanish coach has led his side to six Premier League titles in the last eight seasons. Moreover, an estimated $1.66 billion in expenditure puts Guardiola as the highest-spending manager in Europe since 2016.

A near-unlimited bank balance has undoubtedly helped City bring some of the biggest footballing stars to the Etihad. The club’s squad depth has been better than any other challenger in recent years, helping them to maintain Premier League dominance. 

While Arsenal and Liverpool have become annual challengers, City have continuously edged their opponents to the title. Currently, it is more the case of the “Big 1” followed by a mix and match of the next five clubs to take the top six Premier League places. Arsenal and Liverpool have become more consistent but are yet to truly tackle City’s command. 

However, a new era Premier League elite era could be on the horizon. Newcastle’s mass Saudi investment, Aston Villa’s resurgence and Brighton’s thrifty spending all pose a threat to the prior “Big 6.” In addition, with rumors circulating that Guardiola could leave City in 2025, other established sides could pounce on the opportunity to disrupt the Citizens’ recent Premier League reign.

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Global investment in soccer has seen a massive shift from single club owners. Now, many clubs are part of investor groups that have a say in different teams from different nations. They have stakes or overall controllership of multiple teams. Some of the biggest MCOs are run by corporations. For example, Red Bull GmbH owns RB Leipzig, RB Salzburg, New York Red Bulls and two other teams. 

Despite the growing trend of MCOs in soccer clubs, owners, players, clubs and fans rarely benefit.

MCO player pathways rarely pay off

One of the main characteristics of MCOs is the ability to create pathways for elite and high-potential players. Any club in the group can sign a gem and move them between teams to suit their level. Occasionally, this can lead to a big financial reward and good quality players therefore have a natural progression from playing a better standard of soccer.

For instance, Dayot Upamecano rose through the Red Bull Group and became a global star. The French defender joined RB Salzburg from Valenciennes FC’s youth team at the age of 19. He then joined the Bundesliga team RB Leipzig to play at a higher level. Eventually, he was sold to Bayern Munich in 2021 for over $47 million.  

However, very few examples of players playing at the bigger and better-quality clubs exist in an MCO-run system. 

An estimated 13,000 players were reportedly contracted to clubs in MCO systems in May 2024. Considering Premier League clubs are only allowed 17 players per matchday squad that can come from outside academies, the chances of tens of thousands of players making it to the top of an MCO group system are incredibly slim.

Impossible to balance one club’s interests

Currently, the City Group owns 13 clubs. CFG spans across five continents. Under the City Group, the network shares resources and knowledge. As a result, some clubs benefit from improved infrastructure and global marketing opportunities, such as Mumbai FC, who were acquired by the City Group in 2019.

Not everyone gets a fair deal, though. Since the Abu Dhabi-owned group took over Man City in 2008, they have spent an estimated $1.73 billion on transfers alone. Such investment has led to eight Premier League titles, three FA Cups and one Champions League.

As the major player in the City Group’s cohort, the Premier League club gets significantly more investment to maintain global interest and keep an ultra-competitive level.

But this rarely filters down to the success of other teams. LaLiga club Girona, for instance, finished third last season but are unlikely to replicate such a feat after selling most of their key players for profit. Manchester City also signed forward Savinho, who has played for Girona and another City Group side, Troyes. 

Such turnover of key players would never happen at City. Simply, there is too much at stake for the City Group to risk selling top players from the Premier League club. However, it seems second-string teams in the group are there for profiteering within the infrastructure.

Fan Opposition

It’s difficult for multi-club owners to fully commit their time and resources to one club. Often, this can lead to huge opposition against MCOs from existing fanbases. This is noticeable when owners want to bring a new club into the group.

In 2024, Chelsea owner Todd Boehly acquired majority ownership over French club Strasbourg. The fans protested against the American’s involvement, staging a march before their Ligue 1 match against Rennes in 2024 and unveiling banners during the fixture. 

Last season, five of the six clubs under 777 Partners’ MCO model, including Everton, also protested against this group. In a joint statement, fans called for the group to leave their respective clubs in the interest of genuine support. Troyes even hit back against the City Group last season. Fans threw flares on the pitch as the team narrowly avoided relegation from the French Ligue 2. 

It’s unsurprising to see supporters passionately opposing MCO group takeovers. These groups make historic teams seem like commodities within the global brand rather than individual clubs with their values and identities. Historically, soccer teams were created to provide social and leisure for the local community, not for business, franchising, and profitability. Yet the MCO increasing MCO models challenge these long-held values.

Moreover, the lack of financial pay-off for investors, with player pathways rarely producing and mass investment needed to create multiple competitive clubs hardly seems worth the commitment.

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But Ipswich might not be the only Premier League newbies on the pitch at Portman Road. If pre-season tactics, formations and a lack of transfer activity are a guide, we could see more youth among Liverpool starters Slot during the 2024/25 campaign. 

The continuation of Klopp’s trust in youth

Liverpool has an exciting crop of young talent slowly emerging in the first team. The transition from youth to senior soccer began for several players last season, as Klopp handed debuts to young players on big stages.

First, Klopp fielded Liverpool’s youngest-ever European lineup in their UEFA Europa League clash against Belgian side, Union Saint Gilloise in December 2023. 

Ben Doak, Kaide Gordon, Luke Chambers and Conor Bradley were given their first-ever taste of elite European soccer. Towering defender Jarell Quansah also made a big impact and got on the scoresheet during the 2-1 defeat.

Two months later, the young Reds were in the limelight again. Liverpool beat Southampton 3-0 at Anfield in the FA Cup fifth round, and the usual scorers of Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo weren’t the saviors this time. Instead, the 18-year-old duo Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas’ produced debut goals to fire the Merseyside club into the FA Cup quarter-final.

Klopp laid the foundations for Liverpool’s young players to break into the first-team last season. But the former Reds boss was unafraid to give youth academy players their chance to shine throughout his tenure. During his nine-year spell at Anfield, Klopp handed debuts to 19 teenagers. 

Following on from majorly successful players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Klopp more recently presented opportunities for Bradley, Quansah, and Doak last season. These players now look set to challenge for a first-team position. 

Preseason hints of youth promise for Slot at Liverpool

From pre-season lineups and formations, it appears likely that Slot will continue to offer opportunities to Liverpool’s youth players. 

Slot seemingly favors a fluid 4-3-3 into a 4-2-3-1 formation. He tried a combination of both in all five of Liverpool’s pre-season friendlies. Some positions are unlikely to be contested. Salah will be the main center forward. Virgil van Dijk is an almost certain starter in one of the center-back places.

However, other positions are less firm. For instance, right-back, once uncompromised by the Liverpool stalwart Trent Alexander-Arnold, could be contested by the highly-rated Bradley. Alexander-Arnold played in midfield under Klopp and for the England team. As a result, this shift could bring a chance for Bradley instead. The 20-year-old started at right back in four of Liverpool’s five friendlies and made 22 first-team appearances in 2023/24. In addition, the Northern Irishman player featured last season in big matches. For example, he started the EFL Cup final against Chelsea. 

Depth a key area for Slot early on

Another area Slot could utilize his talented youth players is in the wide attacking areas. There, 18-year-old Ben Doak has shown quality to compete. Liverpool has immense talent in their frontline, with Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz, and Gakpo. But if the Reds want to compete on all fronts like last season, they need depth. 

Doak has already made three Premier League appearances and was selected for Scotland’s Euro 2024 squad before withdrawing due to injury. Slot also handed the Scottish forward a starting spot in the Reds final pre-season friendly against Las Palmas on Sunday – indicating that his chance could arise this season. 

In the central and defensive areas, Slot has more experienced young talent to lean upon. Players like Quansah and Harvey Elliott come with more senior game time. Klopp preferred both Liverpool academy graduates toward the end of last season. 

Quansah, in particular, may see more starting chances this season. The 21-year-old defender partnered with Van Dijk for the final four Premier League fixtures last season and scored two goals in this streak. 

Slot also favored the England under-21 center-back during the pre-season. In four starts, Quansah played alongside Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté and Sepp van den Berg – perhaps a sign that he is ready for more competitive minutes in the 2024/25 season. 

The blend of youth and experience plays a role for Slot at Liverpool

At Portman Road this Saturday, we could see a mix of youth and experience in the Liverpool starting lineup. Slot will not deploy a completely youthful team. Still, it would not be surprising to see Bradley start at right-back and Quansah as a center-back starter alongside Van Dijk. Similarly, Doak may be on the bench alongside other young players Tyler Morton or Bobby Clark.

Liverpool’s lack of transfer activity in the summer transfer window also suggests Slot’s plan. The Dutchman is content with looking at young players from within. Competition for a spot in the starting XI must come from elsewhere and the Reds budding youngsters present a fresh approach. 

As pre-season suggests, the exciting talent from Liverpool’s academy can provide quality and challenge the more senior players. For some, it will be a chance to make an impact and impress Slot for the 2024/25 season. 

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