Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has a history with Sunderland, and ChronicleLive spoke with former Bournemouth captain Steve Cook on his last trip to the Stadium of Light.
In 31 days, a lot can happen. When Newcastle United were drawn against Sunderland, they had just defeated Manchester United, closing the gap on the top four to only a couple of points. Eddie Howe’s side were still in the Champions League, as well as the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
With so much at stake in December, it’s easy to see why the word around the training site was to ‘park’ talk about the derby until the big day arrived. However, after a run of seven losses in eight games, this FA Cup third-round fixture has taken on new significance.
A defeat is unimaginable for everybody involved, and the Geordies are feeling a peculiar knot in their gut ahead of the first Wear-Tyne derby in over eight years. They can find solace in the fact that Howe has previously broken Sunderland hearts. Just ask Steve Cook, who was present at the Stadium of Light on the day Bournemouth were relegated.
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“It was a bit of a funny atmosphere,” the former Cherries skipper said of the 1-0 win in 2017. “As a player, you get a sense of what kind of atmosphere it’s going to be on the day even when you go out for a warm-up.”
“When we went there, the message was, ‘Just don’t give the crowd something to cling to.'” We knew we had to annoy the fans that day. When you go to Sunderland, you have to try to change their audience from being ecstatic, pumped, and strong-willed in our favor, and that’s exactly what we did.”
That is what Newcastle will aim to achieve on Saturday, as these players get their first taste of the game and finally look to upset lower league opponents in the FA Cup after earlier heartbreaking exits against Sheffield Wednesday and Cambridge United. They’ve all played in huge games before, but everyone in the camp has already informed them that this is nothing like what they’ve seen.
That applies for Howe as well, though the Newcastle manager will have already done his homework after months of expecting to take charge of the game. Howe will not be hesitant about drawing on that past if his players need a reminder of the gravity of the situation.
“He has thrown himself into the culture of Newcastle,” Cook said in a statement. “He’s very calm and passionate about football and what it means to fans, and he carries that very well.”
“He understands how to motivate a group. He’s the type of manager who will go into the history of the game and what it means to the city and Newcastle fans. He’ll make the players realize what they’re getting themselves into.
“He did very well at Bournemouth, where there were presentations.” When we played Leeds, he recalled how Leeds fans damaged the Bournemouth town centre and how much it wounded the community at a time when the rivalry didn’t have much importance. These types of rivalries were clearly not on the same level as this game, but the players recognized how much it meant to the fans, so I have no doubt he would employ similar tactics.”
It’s a game with more at stake than just bragging rights. Howe might use a timely Wear-Tyne derby win to improve emotions as Newcastle attempts to overcome Sunderland on their own turf for the first time since 2011. To put it in context, Howe had not even returned to Bournemouth for his second tenure in charge when Newcastle last won the game.
But Howe did, and Cook was among many who profited and reached new heights as the former Bournemouth manager led his team from League One to the Premier League less than three years later. There are a few parallels, and it has not escaped Cook’s notice how a number of players Howe inherited at a winless Newcastle side in relegation trouble went on to shine on the grandest stage of all – the Champions League – even if recent weeks have been the Newcastle manager’s most difficult yet.
“The way he changed me as a player and a person is very similar to what he seems to be doing with individuals in that Newcastle team,” he said. “He’s the type of guy you don’t want to let down.
“He has a lot of faith in his players.” Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been on the receiving end of some extremely tough talks and criticisms, but you accept that because you respect him so much and go out and give your best and end up being better for it.”
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