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Reinvigorate Root

Ben Stokes' shock - and extravagant, considering it came at 3.25pm while he was midway through a bowling spell - retirement from international cricket meant England needed a captain to lead them post-Bazball.

Enter Joe Root. The former skipper - who has captained the most all-time England Tests with 65 - is set to take the mantle for a second time after a first five-year stint as captain between 2017 and 2022.

Fleming talked of "bedding in the gains" made by Stokes and Brendon McCullum in his upcoming tenure, and clearly he and the ECB have decided that tried-and-trusted Root - rather than white-ball captain and Test vice-captain Harry Brook - is the man to do just that.

• Root reappointed Test captain as Fleming named head coach
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Root's captaincy, though, is not without its drawbacks. He gave it up after five years in charge having won one Test in his last 17, and told Sky Sports in 2022 that the role had started to have "an unhealthy effect on the rest of my life".

His recent outing as interim Test captain in the absence of Stokes did not do much to reassure doubters. England were subjected to a drubbing, losing the second Test against New Zealand by 253 runs at The Oval in uninspiring fashion.

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"Joe was completely wrung out at the end of his time as captain for five years," former England batter Mark Butcher told Sky Sports News. "The best thing that happened to him and his game was not being captain any more.

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"I think it's a retrograde step for the team... I just don't think it's the best move for him to be captain at this time or at any other moment in time actually."

Fleming's first task, then, has to be readying his veteran leader for the daunting task of a winter tour of South Africa and then the home Ashes next summer.

Develop unfinished-product Brook

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The new coach and the powers that be have clearly decided Brook is not ready for such a consuming role. He was overlooked as stand-in leader for the Oval Test against New Zealand after the Stokes nightclub saga, having become embroiled in a nightclub drama of his own in New Zealand before an ODI last winter.

Brook, though, reignited conversations after guiding England to a 4-0 T20 series win over India that moved them top of the T20I rankings and a 2-1 ODI series victory over the same opponents. He appears to have a pretty sharp cricketing mind a lot of the time - but, according to Fleming, he needs more time before taking on the red-ball captaincy.

"I'm also excited to work with Harry Brook," Fleming said. "The best players are never finished products, and helping Harry continue to develop his extraordinary talent and his leadership will be an important part of this journey."

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Root's reinstatement has ended concerns over whether Brook could captain in all three forms amid such a packed fixture schedule, and will give the white-ball captain more time to develop his leadership and focus on the upcoming 50-over World Cup in 2027.

Root, though, turns 36 in December, and his appointment will most likely solely focus on the bumper year of Test cricket ahead - as it feels difficult to imagine the skipper leading the team much beyond that.

With Brook seemingly the captain-in-waiting, it is perhaps just as incumbent on Fleming to help bring on future leaders as to support the one he has put in place now.

Work with white-ball coach McCullum

While splitting the roles between red and white-ball cricket will allow complete focus on one format for each coach - and therefore reduce the risk of burnout - England's two head honchos will need a strong relationship for it to work.

Fleming and McCullum certainly have that. The two played alongside each other for six years for New Zealand - with McCullum making his Test debut under Fleming's captaincy - and they were even investors in a business together, cricHQ.

McCullum has said that "robust" conversations will take place with the Test coach in order to "achieve harmony and success" for English cricket, which can probably be read along the lines of: "I won't be asset stripped."

That harmony feels significantly easier to maintain with two coaches so familiar with each other already.

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Test cricket, with that home Ashes in a year's time, is clearly the priority, hence why McCullum was relieved of his red-ball duties following the malaise he oversaw.

But Fleming will not want that to damage England's excellent T20 form or the objective of fixing an ODI side languishing eighth in the rankings and winning the 2027 50-over World Cup.

England fans crave success on all fronts - there has been no global white-ball trophy since 2022, no Ashes win since 2015 - and the coaches must align to make that possible.

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Fix the boozing and off-field indiscipline

England have had more drink-related incidents than their Test side has had wins of late, with Brook's scrap with a bouncer in New Zealand, Ben Duckett seemingly intoxicated during a pilloried beach break in Noosa between Ashes Tests, and then Stokes and Gus Atkinson's curfew-breaking, headline-making trip to a Chelsea nightspot.

How clear the curfew was remains, well, unclear and that is another black mark that can be labelled against this team: lack of attention to detail.

We saw that in their Ashes preparation, with just one warm-up game prior to the Perth Test - and not a particularly useful one at that, in that it was played on a docile surface at Lilac Hill that in no way matched the bouncy deck they would come up against at Optus Stadium. And we all know what happened there…

Batters out driving on the up ad nauseum as England threw away a golden position. Now-interim coach Marcus Trescothick would later say there were no discussions about playing those shots on that surface. Really?!

"There's been a number of times now that we've let ourselves down" incoming captain Root said after England's latest escapade.

"We have to learn from those mistakes and understand that we shouldn't be putting ourselves in those situations."

The ECB issued new additional player behaviour guidelines in July ahead of the three-Test series against Pakistan - it is now up to Fleming and Root to make sure they are followed far better than under Stokes and McCullum.

Replace Stokes and nail down best XI

Stokes' departure - unless he can be lured back - not only deprives England of a talismanic captain but also a gun all-rounder, even if his batting form tapered off at the back end of his Test career with just one hundred since the 2023 Ashes.

There is no easy fix here, although Sam Curran is a seam-bowling all-rounder option - his left-arm angle may be useful - while Rehan Ahmed offers a spin-bowling one. Leg-spinner Ahmed's inclusion at No 7 could allow England to play four frontline quicks.

Most of the batting spots look locked in: Bethell at No 3, Root at No 4, Brook at No 5 and possibly, after a timely ton versus New Zealand, Duckett as one opener. Duckett's top-order accomplice is maybe not so certain with Emilio Gay hitting two fifties against the Kiwis but tailing off thereafter. Other county openers will feel they have a chance.

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The same will apply for spinners with the two men who made Shoaib Bashir their pet project, Stokes and McCullum, no longer around. Bashir has potential, no doubt, but the new Test coach may want someone with more tangible stats behind them. Jack Leach, perhaps?

Jamie Smith could also be sweating on his spot as wicketkeeper-batter. After a lean Ashes, he did not fare outstandingly against New Zealand, albeit his replacement at The Oval while he was on paternity leave, James Rew, toiled with bat and gloves during a sobering debut.

Win matches and big series

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Of all the objectives on the coach's to-do list, this is right at the top of it.

The end of the Bazball era saw just three wins from the final 12 matches, while the whole of the Bazball era saw no series victories over Australia and India - the contests on which England are judged - with 2-2 draws at home to those sides and 4-1 batterings away.

Fleming should not - and most likely will not - abandon every Bazball principle. Attacking, in-your-face cricket got England into a number of match-winning positions over the last four years - only for the players to get too amped up and then chuck those positions away by not reining themselves in. See Lord's 2023, Rajkot 2024 and Perth 2025 as prime examples.

The task is to cut out the brainless bits and make sure refinement and responsibility come when games are in the palm of England's hands, as while English fans obviously enjoy entertaining cricket, they love winning cricket even more.

And they love winning against Australia more than anything. That opportunity arises again next summer, which makes Fleming's appointment crucial. %!s()

Root, who has captained England on a record 65 occasions - most recently when deputising for Stokes for one match against New Zealand earlier this summer - ended his original five-year tenure with just one victory coming from his final 17 matches as skipper.

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• Root reappointed England Test captain as Fleming named head coach
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After Root stepped down, England underwent a major transition under the leadership of Stokes and McCullum, playing a more aggressive brand of cricket that initially yielded strong results and superb entertainment before ending on a sour note with eight losses in the last 12 games.

Sky Sports pundit Butcher, who made 71 Test appearances for England from 1997-2004, said: "Sadly, I'm not surprised. I was hoping that was a decision they weren't going to make.

"Joe has already captained England 65 times now after that game at The Oval in the middle of that chaotic New Zealand series.

"Ben Stokes, Brendon McCullum, Rob Key were the reaction to Joe Root's captaincy the first time around. This revolutionising of the way we play Test match cricket came off the back of 17 Test matches with only one victory under Joe."

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The ECB's decision has been made amid a shortage of options, with Stokes' sudden retirement from international cricket leaving his vice-captain - and England limited-overs skipper - Harry Brook as the only credible alternative to Root.

The decision was also time-pressured, with England starting a three-match Test series against Pakistan at Headingley on August 19. It also now appears highly likely that Root will lead England into next summer's home Ashes series against Australia.

Root, the second highest run-scorer in Test history, revealed soon after stepping down as captain in 2022 that his relationship with the role had become "very unhealthy" and cited the "toll" of his years in charge.

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"Joe was completely wrung out at the end of his time as captain for five years," Butcher said.

"The best thing that happened to him and his game was not being captain any more. His batting since has been on a different level and I rather hoped it would stay that way, and he would be a loyal lieutenant to Harry Brook or whoever they decided was going to get the job on a permanent basis.

"I think it's a retrograde step for the team when they had an opportunity to go forward again having learned the lessons of the recent past under Stokes and McCullum. I cannot agree with that as a call.

"Joe is a brilliant player, absolutely sensational, there's nothing that you can say against him on that level. I just don't think it's the best move for him to be captain at this moment in time, or at any other moment in time actually."

Fleming-Root partnership will be exceptional

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Former New Zealand fast bowler Simon Doull has labelled Fleming a fantastic appointment by the ECB and believes his ex-team-mate's track record of success in T20 cricket will make for an exceptional coach-captain partnership with Root.

"You'll see something different from Stephen Fleming," Doull told Sky Sports News. "McCullum was a good appointment at the time. England cricket needed unlocking, it needed freedom, but after 18 months they needed a bit more coaching to improve once that structure was unlocked.

"That is what Stephen Fleming will bring. He's very structured, he's a real methodical thinker about the game, but also quite innovative. You can see that with the success he's had in T20 cricket around the world.

"He's coming back to red-ball cricket for the first time in a long time, but I think it's a fantastic appointment. Following on from Brendon, I think it is exactly what England need."

Doull continued: "The combination with Joe Root will be an exceptional one.

"Tactically, Fleming is incredibly sound. As a captain, he was the best I played under and was highly regarded around the world.

"I don't think he has a coaching style as such, but he works incredibly well with whoever he's got in his team, whether they are young or experienced players."

England vs Pakistan Test series schedule

All times UK and Ireland, all games live on Sky Sports

• First Test (Headingley) - Wednesday August 19-Sunday August 23 (11am)
• Second Test (Lord's) - Thursday August 27-Monday August 31 (11am)
• Third Test (Edgbaston) - Wednesday September 9-Sunday September 13 (11am)

Watch the three-Test series between England and Pakistan live on Sky Sports Cricket from August 19. Stream cricket and more sport contract-free with NOW. %!s()

The 38-year-old German played for Hoffenheim before embarking on a coaching career that took him to Denmark and into an academy role at Red Bull Salzburg. His first senior job was at FC Liefering, moving on to the top job at Salzburg in the summer of 2021.

Jaissle won the double in his first season and retained the league in his second. He worked with Karim Adeyemi and Benjamin Sesko in Salzburg, competing in the Champions League, before moving on to Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League in 2023.

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He has spent the past three years in the Gulf, winning the Saudi Super Cup in Hong Kong last year. But before that he spoke to Sky Sports as part of our Future of Football series for an illuminating discussion of his ideas and how he saw the game progressing.

Here's what we found out…

Inspirations as a coach

Jaissle is steeped in the Red Bull school, having been the head coach at FC Liefering and Red Bull Salzburg at a young age. This means a particular emphasis on high pressing and relatively direct play, looking to move the ball forwards whenever possible.

But his Salzburg team also had plenty of possession and Jaissle would not want to be pigeonholed. "You have to develop your game, you have to always make progress." He has indicated that he is willing to look to all of the game's top coaches for inspiration.

"They always have some principles you can see which make sense to include in your philosophy. It's not about copying, exactly, but seeing interesting things, creating your thoughts about it, and then, if it fits, you can bring it into your way of playing."

What formation does he play?

That has been reflected in the evolution of his preferred formation. At Salzburg, it was often built around the narrow 4-4-2 with wingers coming inside that Ralf Rangnick popularised across the Red Bull teams. But he switched things up in Saudi Arabia.

With Al Ahli, he often adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation building with either a 3-2-5 or a 2-3-5 structure - something that is de rigueur in the Premier League. Speaking to Sky Sports, he explained that it was more about principles of play than the precise formations.

"It is not about formations that much. It is more how you want to play, how you want to attack, how you want to defend. If you understand that and the players understand that, tactically you are much more flexible and the formation is not that important."

It can be demanding for players. "These days the players are more and more involved in tactical things. Every coach and every club works with principles, so every player has to know a lot of things, tactically, in each phase of the game. I think that's a big change."

Predicting the future

Speaking to Sky Sports in 2023, Jaissle anticipated some of the changes that have been seen in the Premier League since then with its increased robustness and the growing focus on set-pieces. "It could be more dynamic and more physical also," he suggested.

He added: "Only the most professional players will survive at the top, top level, I would say." Jaissle also predicted that "there will be more and more so-called all-rounders" in football in the future - meaning defenders who attack, attackers who defend, and more.

"Players who are able to play in more positions, which makes total sense and makes it easier for the manager to change within the game or alter the formation. That is quite easy if the players understand it and know how to live your principles on the pitch."

That extends to the goalkeeper role with his preference for those who can be part of the build-up. "Goalkeeper is not a position by itself any more. It is completely included with the other guys. A goalkeeper has to have an understanding of all phases of the game."

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But motivation still matters

Jaissle has experience working in multi-cultural dressing rooms, citing the fact that the number of different nationalities at Salzburg was into double figures. And for all the focus on tactics, technique and physicality, motivation remains key to management.

"I think the communication and the connection with the players is always the base for leadership and being a good coach," he explained to Sky Sports. "You really have to take care of that. I would always prioritise one on ones and face-to-face conversation.

"You really have to take care that you don't have too much information. This is a big challenge. As a manager or coach, you know so much about tactics, but you cannot just give everything to the players. You have to really take care not to overwhelm them." %!s()

The fixtures for the upcoming campaign have been released, with kick-off times and broadcast picks confirmed for the first four weekends, featuring more matches than ever after the league expanded from 12 teams to 14 after Birmingham City, Crystal Palace and Charlton Athletic secured promotion from WSL 2.

Sky Sports will show 90 per cent of all WSL matches live on Sky Sports and NOW - 163 matches in total, as well as the play-off - with selected games also shown on the Sky Sports WSL YouTube channel. There will be greater flexibility over fixtures, with fewer matches kicking off at the same time.

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London City, who signed two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas this summer, will launch the new season in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Friday September 4 against Man Utd before champions Man City host newcomers Birmingham City on a bumper day of action on Sunday September 6 featuring five live games.

The other matches on the first Sunday of the season see last year's runners-up Arsenal start with a trip to Brighton, while Tottenham host a London derby against West Ham, Liverpool visit newly-promoted Charlton and Crystal Palace, who secured an immediate return to the top flight, face Everton.

Eight-time winners Chelsea host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Saturday September 5.

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Man Utd face a difficult start to the season with their second game coming at home to Chelsea on Sunday September 13 before they head to the Emirates Stadium to play Arsenal on Saturday September 19, with both matches live on Sky Sports. Arsenal also host Chelsea on Sunday September 27, live on Sky Sports.

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The first Merseyside derby of the season sees Everton travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday September 27, live on Sky Sports.

Relegation remains in place following the expansion to the league, with the last-placed team automatically relegated, and the 13th-placed side facing a play-off with the WSL 2 runners-up.

Opening weekend fixtures in full

Friday September 4

London City Lionesses vs Manchester United, kick-off 7pm - live on Sky Sports

Saturday September 5

Chelsea vs Aston Villa, kick-off 12.30pm

Sunday September 6

Brighton vs Arsenal, kick-off 12pm - live on Sky Sports

Tottenham vs West Ham, kick-off 12pm - live on Sky Sports

Charlton vs Liverpool, kick-off 2pm - live on Sky Sports

Crystal Palace vs Everton, kick-off 2pm - live on Sky Sports

Man City vs Birmingham City, kick-off 2.30pm - live on Sky Sports

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Other WSL matches live on Sky Sports

Saturday September 12

West Ham vs London City - kick-off 12.45pm

Sunday September 13

Man Utd vs Chelsea - kick-off 12pm

Birmingham vs Brighton - kick-off 2pm

Everton vs Charlton - kick-off 2pm

Liverpool vs Tottenham - kick-off 2pm

Aston Villa vs Man City - kick-off 6.30pm

Friday September 18

Man City vs Liverpool - kick-off 7pm

Saturday September 19

Chelsea vs Birmingham - kick-off 12.45pm

Arsenal vs Man Utd - kick-off 5.30pm

Sunday September 20

Brighton vs Aston Villa - kick-off 2pm

Crystal Palace vs Tottenham - kick-off 2pm

West Ham vs Everton - kick-off 2pm

Saturday September 26

London City vs Brighton - kick-off 5pm

Sunday September 27

Man Utd vs West Ham - kick-off 1pm

Birmingham vs Crystal Palace - kick-off 2pm

Liverpool vs Everton - kick-off 2pm

Tottenham vs Aston Villa - kick-off 2pm

Chelsea vs Arsenal - kick-off 4.30pm

Key dates for the 2026/27 WSL season

September 4: Opening weekend

December 21 - January 3: Winter break

May 22/23: Final weekend of the season

May 29/30: The play-off

Even more clips and highlights on Sky Sports Digital

The Sky Sports app makes it easier than ever to follow the action on mobile with vertical video highlights, match centres packed with scores and stats available for FREE to all fans, plus live streams for Sky Sports customers.

Free-to-watch match highlights from EVERY WSL game will continue to be served up on the Sky Sports website and App.

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Beyond that, Sky Sports will serve women's football fans even better on social with a new dedicated WSL YouTube channel.

It's the only place to find live streams of selected games, match highlights, exclusive interviews and content showcasing the biggest personalities from across the league as never seen before.

Watch more than 1,500 games live on Sky Sports

For the 2026/27 season, Sky Sports will show over 1,500 live matches across the Premier League, EFL, Women's Super League and Scottish Premiership, including 215 exclusively live Premier League fixtures.

With every first-pick Premier League match, the return of the iconic Super Sunday 4.30pm slot, and more Friday and Monday night coverage, Sky Sports will deliver the biggest games and the defining moments from the first whistle to the final word of every Premier League weekend. %!s()

In this time, Howe continued to focus on preparing the Newcastle team for their season opener against Liverpool on August 23, live on Sky Sports. Howe's departure comes 25 days before that fixture.

Matthias Jaissle of Al Ahli Is the favourite to replace Howe and Newcastle are hopeful of putting him in charge within 24 hours. Sky Sports News understands talks are at an advanced stage with the 38-year-old German coach. Al Ahli are one of the four clubs owned by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) - who also own Newcastle.

Kieran McKenna and Antonio Conte were other names on the shortlist before Newcastle decided on Jaissle, who will take charge of Newcastle's pre-season training camp in La Manga.

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Newcastle have already had a challenging summer after the sales of Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon - and that continues with uncertainty over their captain Bruno Guimaraes, who is wanted by Arsenal.

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Those sales have played a factor in Howe's decision amid concerns about what the squad will look like at the start of the new campaign. Newcastle also sold striker Alexander Isak for a British-record £125m to Liverpool last summer.

Howe has spent a number of months reflecting on his time at Newcastle and believed he could take the club forward this season, providing Newcastle recruited well this summer.

Eddie Howe's Newcastle reign

• November 2021 - Howe replaces Steve Bruce as Newcastle United head coach
• May 2022 - Howe guides Newcastle to 11th-placed finish in first season in charge. Newcastle become first Premier League team to stay up after failing to win any of their first 14 games
• August 2022 - Howe signs new long-term contract
• February 2023 - Howe leads Newcastle to first final in 24 years but they lose Carabao Cup final 2-0 to Manchester United
• May 2023 - Howe leads Newcastle to a fourth-placed finish earning the club qualification for the Champions League for the first time in more than 20 years
• January 2024 - Howe leads Newcastle to victory in an FA Cup Tyne-Wear derby - their first win over Sunderland in almost 13 years
• May 2024 - Newcastle finish seventh despite scoring 85 goals and posting their highest Premier League goal tally ever
• Mar 2025 - Newcastle beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final to win their first major trophy in 56 years
• May 2025 - Howe leads Newcastle into the Champions League again with a fifth-placed Premier League finish
• September 2025 - Howe loses star striker Alexander Isak to Liverpool in a £125m deal on Deadline Day
• February 2026 - Newcastle advance to the knockout stages of the Champions League via the play-offs, where they are later beaten by Barcelona
• May 2026 - Newcastle finish the season 12th
• May 2026 - Anthony Gordon leaves for Barcelona in a deal that nets Newcastle almost £70m
• July 2026 - Howe sees Sandro Tonali leave for Spurs in a deal worth £100m
• July 2026 - Club captain Bruno Guimaraes tells Newcastle he wants to leave
• July 2026 - Howe steps down as Newcastle head coach less than 24 hours after 4-1 pre-season defeat to Championship side Bristol City

Newcastle have signed 20-year-old winger Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim for £42m, 18-year-old midfielder Sean Steur from Ajax for £23m and 20-year-old goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen from Reims for £18.5m.

They have recently, however, appeared to miss out on Johan Manzambi, who decided to move to Aston Villa - which was a big blow for Howe and the club.

Howe has been one of Newcastle's greatest-ever managers, winning the League Cup to end the club's 70-year wait for silverware as well as taking the club into the Champions League on two occasions after sealing top-five finishes in the Premier League.

Last season, they progressed further in the Champions League than they had ever done before.

Howe's final game in charge was a brutal 4-1 pre-season loss to Championship side Bristol City on Wednesday night.

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When did Howe decide to leave Newcastle?

Sky Sports News' Keith Downie:

Eddie Howe informed his coaching staff upon return from Bristol City, where they lost 4-1 in a friendly. The decision had nothing to do with the match, it had been in the pipeline for two weeks.

Howe gave his full commitment to the club at the end of the season, but has changed his mind. He is set to take a break from football and Howe wanted the club to have a replacement lined up before he left.

This is Howe's decision, the club tried to convince him to stay. He feels he has taken it as far as he can after nearly five years at the helm.

There is no acrimony, the club love him and think he's done an amazing job.

The players have yet to be told. They are on a day off today. The squad fly out to Spain for a pre-season training camp on Friday. Newcastle are yet to comment or put out a statement.

This is not ideal timing as far as the club are concerned, but they are moving swiftly to try and replace Howe. They are in advanced talks with Jaissle of Al Alhi, having also spoken to Antonio Conte and Kieran McKenna.

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Carragher: Howe just ran out of energy

Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher:

"I just thought, is Eddie Howe going to build another team again like he built that team four or five years ago? It just looks like he hasn't really got the energy for it anymore.

"And it takes a lot out of your manager in Newcastle. They aren't Man Utd or Liverpool, but they're a huge football club. And they're one club in one city. So you can imagine the demands, the intensity of that every day. And Eddie Howe is a really intense manager.

"Last season, it took a lot out of him. And obviously we know the recruitment didn't go well for them last season. They had a poor season by their standards - and it was time to be fresh, let these players move on, get maximum money for them and build a new team.

"But to build a new team is probably going to take two or three years again. So I think Eddie Howe has probably just looked at the pre-season - and obviously the Bruno Guimaraes move to Arsenal looks like it's going to kick off shortly as well - and maybe he just ran out of the energy and that intensity that makes him the manager that he is.

"But he will go down as an absolute icon, legend at that football club what he did. I'm a huge admirer of Eddie Howe and he's done a fantastic job. And he's probably made a decision that's probably right for him and also the football club."

'I cannot assure Bruno future' - Howe's final words as boss

In his final words as Newcastle boss, Howe refused to offer assurances over the future of captain Guimaraes amid heavy interest from Arsenal - but added the player is not in control of his own future.

Sky Sports News reported earlier this month that Guimaraes had told Newcastle he would like to leave the club in favour of a move to the Premier League champions, but the Magpies had no intention of selling the 28-year-old Brazil international.

Asked about Guimaraes, who is yet to rejoin his team-mates following the World Cup, Howe said on Wednesday night: "Assurances - I don't think you can push too hard for those. I think I've said many times you want players that are committed.

"Bruno's always been committed here. His training performances, his game performances, have been outstanding. Every time he's worn the shirt, he's played with the fans by his side. I'd love to see that continue.

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"I think we want to keep all of our best players. They're so valuable, and as I said numerous times, there aren't many of them, and to get them and develop them is so difficult.

"So when you have them, you want to keep them. And Bruno's very much in that category; he's an outstanding player."

Asked if this saga dragging on creates a negative mood, Howe replied: "Any distraction, if it's not healthy, is unhealthy. So, yeah.

"But we're not in control of that. And to some degree, I don't think Bruno's in control of that either.

"What will be, will be. We can't control the forces that are at play here, we've just got to make sure that when Bruno comes back, we look after him and he trains well, which I'm sure he will do. And he makes a difference as he always has done."

Bothroyd: Newcastle in relegation scrap without Howe

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Sky Sports News' Jay Bothroyd:

"There's so many players leaving, so to be honest I can understand why he [Howe] would want to leave now.

"He's saying: 'I had a strong squad. You've taken away some of the best players I had. Some of the best players in the Premier League. You're replacing them with unproven players in the Premier League.'

"It seems to me that he doesn't have the control he wants. He doesn't want to see these players leave.

"It's just really bad times for Newcastle, yet again. This is even worse than last year. Losing [Alexander] Isak and him not turning up to training is one thing, but now you're losing one of the best managers in the country and all your best players.

"Where do Newcastle go from here? It's going to be an unproven manager because who wants to put themselves in a situation where you don't have a strong side.

"I said mid-table [as a Premier League prediction]. Now I'm saying bottom half of the table.

"They're way off it. They're going to be in a relegation battle this year."

Your views on Howe's exit...

HullToon: I cannot believe it. Does he feel supported enough? Does the project still match the original plan that he set out for? There are so many questions raised because of this. Last season was disappointing, but there's mitigating circumstances.

JimmiDee: Regardless of last years disappointment, Howe has done an unbelievable job, and he's had to put up with his team being pillaged the last two seasons and expected to produce the same results with bargain bin replacements which is just completely unrealistic. He deserves better.

SPritc80: A section of our short sighted fans are to blame for Eddie leaving and some big hitters choosing to leave. Results have not gone our way at times. Jumping on the back of players and the head coach in the way they have is disrespectful. No wonder they are all leaving.

BrettJ2002: Why didn't Eddie Howe decide to do this before pre-season started so new manager can get a lot more time in with the squad? Thanks to Eddie for what he has done, but his time was definitely up.

Chris W: Strongly support Eddie - that's two new statues we need this month!

Fez71: Didn't look like Eddie was getting backed, selling all our best players. Very sad times, thanks for all the memories, Eddie. %!s()