Eddie Howe said he must separate himself from the "noise" that comes with being Newcastle United manager in the club's new era as he prepares to take charge of his first match, weeks after the Saudi-led takeover.
The former Bournemouth manager was appointed earlier this month and while the new owners have lofty ambitions for Newcastle, Howe's immediate task is steering the club out of the Premier League relegation zone, starting against Brentford on Saturday.
Howe is under huge pressure to deliver at St James' Park, but he insists he will not get caught up in the external noise.
"I have to separate myself from the noise because the noise isn't going to help me in the job and my dealings with the players, so I think that's going to be one of the most important factors for me," Howe, 43, said.
"I have always prided myself with my work with the players, my interactions with them, the way that I have tried to improve them.
"That can't change despite the bits of my job now, the demands on my time that are going to be huge. But I have to prioritise, so I think that's going to be a key thing for me."
Howe admitted the Newcastle role was a big challenge – the club has not won major silverware since 1969.
"You can sense that it's a huge job," he said. "There's a real yearning from the supporters to be successful, to produce a team that they enjoy watching – that's the big challenge ahead for us."
Howe, who has been out of work since he left Bournemouth in August 2020, said the start of his tenure, during an international break, had been a whirlwind.
"I can say with all honesty I have seen the training ground and I have seen my hotel," he said. "I haven't seen Newcastle in the light yet – tomorrow will actually be the first day that I step into Newcastle when it's daylight."
The club have collected just five of the first 33 points on offer in the Premier League this season and are five points from safety but it is a challenge that does not faze Howe.
"At Bournemouth, every year we were in a relegation battle," he said. "For the first four years, we achieved our objective and stayed in the Premier League.
"So I've been in the position many, many times. It's not nice, it's not enjoyable to be fighting relegation."
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
THE TWIN BIO
Their favourite city: Dubai
Their favourite food: Khaleeji
Their favourite past-time : walking on the beach
Their favorite quote: ‘we rise by lifting others’ by Robert Ingersoll
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
