On the face of it, things have gone very well for Eddie Howe at Newcastle United, but behind the scenes there have been one or two potentially explosive issues that have needed to be dealt with.
That the team to date under the former Cherries boss have consistently got better and better, speaks of his tactical acumen and understanding of the game, though his man-management skills shouldn’t be overlooked either.
In order to be successful at the elite level, managers have to accept that they are going to put their players noses out of joint on occasion, but it isn’t personal.
The team has to come first and if there’s an attitude problem or some other issue, it needs to be dealt with.
The former is believed to be the case with Ryan Fraser, who Howe has known since his Bournemouth days but who he had a big falling out with some while ago and hasn’t been seen anywhere near the first team since.
According to footballscotland, Howe has recently delivered the most unbelievable snub to Fraser, and it definitely spells the end of his career on Tyneside.
The outlet suggests that Fraser hasn’t even been given a squad number for next season.
It isn’t clear how much the Magpies might be expecting for the 29-year-old but the relationship between player and club is clearly broken, so the quicker that decision can be made, the better for all concerned.
This is not a NEWS story!.
This has been wisely known for at least the last six month