Eddie Howe has robustly defended his transfer record at Newcastle United following Paul Mitchell’s critique of the club’s post-takeover recruitment, but insists there is no “civil war” at St James’ Park.
The head coach and sporting director have not spoken since Mitchell gave a wide-ranging interview to local media last week, in which he questioned whether elements of the club, including their recruitment processes, are “fit for purpose in the modern game”.
They are yet to discuss January transfer plans, despite failing to materially strengthen the starting XI during the summer.
Following a July restructure, Howe is no longer as directly involved in transfers, with Mitchell’s scope being “90 per cent” recruitment, according to Darren Eales, the CEO.
Yet during the first two and a half years of his Newcastle tenure, Howe was part of a transfer team which also included the British-based co-owners, Dan Ashworth, the previous sporting director, Steve Nickson, the head of recruitment, and Andy Howe, the assistant head of recruitment.
They were collectively responsible for recruiting star players like Alexander Isak, Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon, while Chris Wood, Matt Targett and Dan Burn were also signed in January 2022 as Newcastle desperately attempted to avoid relegation.
“I think a few things on that,” Howe replied, when he was asked directly about that Mitchell’s remarks during his press conference ahead of Newcastle’s trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday. “I’m very, very proud of every single player that we signed in that period.
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“It is very easy to look back at any transfer window and make a judgement on the players you have signed three years down the line. But you have to go back to the situation when we were in those moments, in the relegation zone and trying to recruit players. That is not an easy thing to do.
“You’re also recruiting not just for the short term, but for the long term. When you look back, that work was good. Our objective was to stay in the league, so I’m not going to critique every signing, but I’m very, very proud of the body of work that we did and the players that we have now from the legacy of those transfer windows. We love them to bits.
“So I think it’s about when you’re in that moment and the decisions that you made. I think everyone can hold their heads up very high.
“I’ve said all along in s that I don’t want to make it about old structure and new structure but those signings obviously I played a huge part in and I took ownership of all those signings. I said that even if they’re good or bad I will take ownership of that because ultimately I was always the final decision maker on those signings and I was very proud to sign those players.
“I think they have been brilliant signings for the where we were and the long term future of the club and I really believe in them and I still do.”
Pushed as to whether he agreed that the scouting was not “fit for purpose”, Howe responded: “I think that is for Paul to answer. I don’t think I can answer for him. The scouting structure was there, and whatever you think about the structures, I thought the results were very good.”
Mitchell also claimed repeatedly that he played a “supporting role” within a “pre-existing strategy” during the summer window, having arrived on July 4. Newcastle undertook a month-long pursuit of Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, but failed to sign the England international, meaning both the centre-back and right-winger they were aiming to recruit did not arrive.
“I don’t think it’s right for me to make individual comments in reply to Paul’s press conference,” Howe said on that subject. “I don’t think that will help our current situation. It’s best for me to focus on the future.”
Mitchell’s future has been the subject of speculation (Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
During the window, Mitchell claimed that he spoke with Howe at least once a day, often hourly, yet the head coach insists the pair have not been in contact over the international break.
“No, I’ve had no contact from Paul,” Howe said. “But I don’t think that’s unusual. We’ve got different jobs to do. I’m focusing on the football and the team, and he’s obviously focusing on his role.”
Howe was widely expected to draw a line under the summer and repeat his previous calls for unity at the club, yet he has allowed the subject to simmer.
Regardless, when asked directly about a national headline claiming that there was a “civil war” at the club, he refuted that characterisation. He did give what appeared to be a barbed response about the training pitch being “my happiest environment”, however, after Eales and Mitchell both suggested that was where Howe did his best work.
“The civil war stuff, absolutely not, in my experience,” Howe said. “But I am cocooned in my work and absolutely focused on the players and the training, and I know you might be bored of that answer but it is what I do every single day that I am here.”
There was a positive response by Howe regarding Mitchell’s “transparency” in willing to communicate, too.
“I think it’s really important that there is transparency from the club and the financial situation we have is not only discussed by me. I’m not a numbers and figures guy, I’m a football man,” Howe said. “It’s good we have different people communicating about those areas.”
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(Top photo: Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)