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newcastle Owner eddie howe Will comes face to face with a manager he believes should be considered one of the game’s greats as he prepares to take on him. jose mourinho,
The 62-year-old Portuguese takes his Benfica team to St James’ Park, where his mentor Sir bobby robson So remains the favourite, set to resume hostilities with Howe in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Mourinho’s 26-trophy haul as a boss includes three Premier League titles, four League Cups, one FA Cup and two Champions League titles. Europa League during his stints with Chelsea and Manchester United, and Howe is in no doubt about the former Inter Milan and Real Madrid supremo’s status in the English game.
Asked whether Mourinho should be considered one of the greatest players of all time, Howe, 47, said: “I think you have to. Look at what he did.
“I’m not just saying this because we’re playing them tomorrow, I really believe it. The impact he made early on was really incredible. He had an influence around him and his teams. His teams were always very difficult to beat.
“I remember watching his teams in my early days as a head coach when I was looking to mold my way of playing and he had a big impact on how I was thinking about coaching.”
Mourinho may have a certain association with Newcastle due to his relationship with Robson, but St James’s has not always been a happy hunting ground for him with 12 visits in all competitions with Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham resulting in three wins, five losses and four draws.
Howe has fond memories of his first clash with the then Chelsea boss, when his newly-promoted Bournemouth side won 1–0 at Stamford Bridge in December 2015, although that remains their only win against him.
Howe said: “No matter where you are, any Premier League win will be enjoyed. It’s very difficult to do that in the Premier League and especially at that stage of my career.”
“Chelsea were one of the strongest teams in the league and we had some great wins, being the Bournemouth manager at the time, it gave us the confidence that we could compete in the Premier League.
“Being a newly-promoted team, you need every shot of confidence. I watch those games with great interest.
“But obviously this game is very different. It’s a different kind of experience. Now we – I said this before the last Champions League game – we are desperate to qualify for the competition.
“We know the importance of our home games, so after the disappointment of Barcelona, we are looking forward to it.”
Newcastle bounced back from their opening defeat to Barcelona with a 4–0 win at Union Saint-Gillois, while Benfica lost their opening two fixtures to Qarabag and Chelsea.
The Magpies are sweating on the fitness of key midfielder Sandro Tonali, who missed training on Monday through illness and is considered “touch and go” by Howe along with Lewis Miley and Jacob Ramsey.