FORMER Cherries boss Jonathan Woodgate believes the “unbelievable” coaching staff announced by Eddie Howe at Newcastle will help improve their squad dramatically.

Howe last week confirmed the quartet of Jason Tindall, Stephen Purches, Simon Weatherstone and Dan Hodges would be linking up with him on Tyneside.

Purches was Woodgate’s assistant during his short spell as head coach at Vitality Stadium last season, following the sacking of Tindall.

Weatherstone was also a long-serving member of the backroom staff at Cherries, while Hodges spent close to a decade at the club working his way up to a position as head of sports science.

And while also praising Howe, Woodgate reflected on witnessing his staff in action first-hand during his time on the south coast.

Speaking in a column for Ladbrokes, the Nunthorpe-born former England international said: “Eddie Howe will improve the players they’ve got at the minute. I worked with his coaching staff at Bournemouth and they are unbelievable.

“They will improve Newcastle United tenfold. They’re meticulous, they look at every avenue possible. I think it’s a fantastic appointment, I really do.

“I’m just happy that Eddie Howe is back in the game, because I’ve always thought he was a top manager and a top guy as well.”

Legendary Cherries boss Howe piloted the Dorset club from the depths of the Football League to five seasons in the top flight across two spells in charge.

The Tyneside test is the 43-year-old's first job in football since leaving Cherries in August 2020.

His first game in Howe’s new role at Newcastle comes at home to Brentford on Saturday (3pm).

“Eddie Howe will bring excitement to Newcastle, there’s no doubt about that,” added Woodgate.

“If you look at how he played at Bournemouth, they were always on the front foot, always trying to win games, and that’s what Newcastle fans want.

“The Newcastle public are an amazing bunch of fans – I spent 18 months there, I know what they like. Howe will have their backing, I know that. All I want to see is excitement.

“The fans will help massively in that relegation scrap, they’ll buy into what Eddie Howe is trying to do from day one.

“But they’re five points off safety at the moment, and back-to-back wins in the Premier League isn’t easy at all – especially when you’ve not won a game all season. Their next few fixtures are quite favourable, but it’s going to be a tough old slog.”