Former Newcastle striker Joe Allon expects good things from manager Eddie Howe.
Allon played on the same circuit as Howe the player and knows all about what the 43-year-old will bring to the table thanks to one of his closest friends in football.
Allon is close to Bournemouth legend Steve Fletcher, who worked closely with Howe during their rise through the leagues, and is well up to speed with exactly what his boyhood team have just acquired.
He told Chronicle Live: "Steve Fletcher was part of Bournemouth's journey and is delighted to see Eddie get the gig at St James' Park.
"He will bring so much to the table.
"The one thing about Eddie is he was a great player, secondly he's took Bournemouth from the lower leagues right up to the Premier League and they lived with all the big guns, Chelsea and Liverpool beaten at their place.
"When people were talking candidates, Eddie was my first choice.
"He did a great job at Bournemouth.
"Newcastle haven't just got a great manager, they have a great human being.
"He has a tough job here and he will need to bring in some players but when you think about he has a lot of his old players already, Ryan Fraser, Matt Ritchie and Callum Wilson.
"Survival is the first aim. Then after that it will be laying solid foundations.
"I think we can lift ourselves from the doldrums and push on."
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