A game with more than just three points at stake

THE visit of Bournemouth to St James’ Park this afternoon to face Newcastle United is a match laced with narrative.

- By SEAN MCCORMICK

They are two clubs intertwined by their success under head coach Eddie Howe, with the Magpies boss still revered on the South Coast for taking them from League Two to the top half of the Premier League across two spells in charge.

Of course, Howe is right up there in the pantheon of Newcastle's best ever managers after securing Champions League qualification twice in three seasons and securing the club’s first major domestic trophy for 70 years.

But the Magpies’ poor Premier League form this season has seen the pressure on his position ramp up this week and, despite retaining the backing of United’s decision makers, the man in the opposite dugout is currently the bookmakers’ favourite to replace him if a change was to be made at Newcastle.

So the last thing Howe needed heading into this fixture was Bournemouth’s announcement this week that Andoni Iraola will leave the club at the end of the season to pursue a new challenge, meaning he will be free to attain for any clubs looking for a new boss.

Athletic Club and Crystal Palace have already been heavily linked with his services and the reason he will be in such high demand is testament to the job he’s done across three seasons at the Vitality Stadium.