Inside Eddie Howe's transfer window grilling as Newcastle United boss responds to PIF claim

The Magpies had hoped to secure a deal for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi having chased his signature for the best part of a month. However, negotiations hit an impasse this week and Eagles boss Oliver Glasner has announced the 24-year-old will stay.

United have signed just outfield players this summer, Lloyd Kelly and Will Osula, and failed to strengthen two key positions - a centre-back and right winger.

There are big concerns about the lack of signings, resulting in Eddie Howe being grilled by the media as he spoke ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

In a 40 minute session, Howe faced 33 questions on transfer alone. Here’s the transcript in full:

Transfer window closes at 11pm tonight, will you be bringing anyone in?

“I don’t know currently, there is still time and there is still work going hours to try and see what we can do in the last few hours. While there is time, there is hope.” 

So you’re not closed for business, in or out?

“No, I don’t think we’ll be closed right until right to the end in both ways. One or two on the younger players will be going out on loan. So, let’s see what happens in the last few hours.”

Is there a possibility no-one comes in?

“There is. With such short time left it is looking difficult. This window, as I’ve said many times, has been difficult and continues to be difficult for us. We’re in a really difficult situation with PSR and available funds, attracting the right players and the players we think can make a difference.

“It’s such a delicate spot for us, we’ve got to try and hit it right and if we don’t then probably doing nothing, as frustrating as that is, is probably the best option.”

Will you be happy with the current squad or is it a risk?

“Yeah, a bit of both. There will be a feeling that we have a good squad and we like all the players that we have in our squad but there is a feeling of course that there are a few areas of the squad that we felt we needed to strengthen so I think we’ll carry those emotions depending on what happens in the next few hours.”

How pleased are you to see the back of this window, and what lessons can you learn?

“The emergence of PSR… for a lot of football clubs the actual workings of the window have totally changed but it’s taken time for everyone to realise how that would change and certainly for me as the manager, when you’re spending 90% of your time on the training pitch with the players then this new dynamic to totally throw anything out that you’re doing, change the way you recruit players is a big shift.

“I think through time, if the rules remain the same, will get used to that but it’s a change for us and of course a change for everyone - media, supporters because transfer business, under its current format, will never be the same again.”

Were you expecting more business to have been done by this point?

“Expecting? I don’t know if that is the right word. Hopeful, yeah. When we start out and go into the window, there are various parts of the squad that needed looking at and needed work.

“It’s the same wish for everybody working internally, there’s no one part that goes ‘we don’t want to support that’, we do, altogether, and we want to find the right solutions but they’ve got to be the right solutions,.

“The worst thing you can do is bring the wrong players to the football as that would harm us for a long time. It’s always about the right players and if you can’t find the right players, it’s probably best to do that.”

West Ham etc will be pushing to be where you want to be, is that a concern?

“Of course, because if you’re competition is improving and getting stronger when you’re not, that’s a huge concern but again, Brighton have sold players to bring in a lot of revenue and income, and we haven’t. We’re in a difficult situation regarding PSR and that is the major problem for us, we can’t do what other teams are doing currently.

“Yes, that makes the challenge harder for us and me but that’s the environment we’re in, we have to try and be successful.”

Are you confident you’ll keep Kieran Trippier, Miguel Almiron etc?

“I hope so. With the amount of time we have left, to lose anybody now would be very difficult to replace them so I don’t envisage anything happening with the established players in the squad.”

Is PSR preventing clubs from breaking into the top six on a sustained basis?

“It's probably making it more challenging, I'd say. I think it all depends on your income and your revenue streams and how much you can improve those in a really short period of time. Now, we're finding it a bit difficult due to a number of reasons that someone better qualified than me can give you more direct answers to, but the reality is it is difficult for us to recruit players currently and it has been in this window and probably will be for a few future windows.

“Beyond that, the future should be brighter, but PSR is probably hitting us more short-term in the here and now than it will do, hopefully, in the future.

Is the squad weaker now than at the start of the summer if no-one comes in?

“I think you can make an argument for that, I'm not going to fight you too much on that because it's all opinion-based. All I can do is say that we will try to get the very best out of the squad that we have, and that is my job and it's always been the way that I've looked a it.

“You can't control everything, you can't do things you can't do, so what you can do is get the very, very best – or try to get the very, very best - out of every single person in the squad, maximise their ability and your ability. That's always how I've seen the job of managing and coaching, and we'll gladly take on that challenge."

What are your message to supporters frustrated about the transfer window?

“I understand the fans frustration and I share it. We’re all in it together. From ownership to me and supporters, we need one united cause - and that’s a cause against everyone we’re playing. What we can’t do as a football club is tear ourselves a part, we have to be united now more than ever. That’s starts from me, to the board and supporters.

“Whatever frustration people will feel, the biggest thing for me is to get behind the players and try and help them in every way. On the matchday, like the supporters have from day one, do the same. I think we are formidable force when we are linked together.”

Is there any personal frustration?

“There has been, of course. As you say, the hours you put in for sometimes get back... you can put in hours and hours of watching players to only find out you can’t do the deal, but that goes with the territory and you sort of understand that.

“There’s been no lack of trying from anyone connected with the club, the effort has been there. But I think I’ve learned through time to shut down quite quickly when you can’t do something and the option doesn’t become available anymore. You concentrate on what you can control and that is the players that we have here.”

Your happiness versus new working dynamic?

“The two things are totally separate - my happiness against what we’re able to do in the transfer market. They are totally different things. I’m enjoying my work. I am happy. It is a challenging period, no doubt about that. We haven’t had the window that we wanted to have, there is no denying that. But my job is to continue to give my best for the players we have here. 

Marc Guehi pursuit was played out in public - why did that deal not happen?

“I’m still not going to comment on individuals. That’s not fair to other players at other clubs.”

How is the dynamic of those new working relationships?

“We’re working well, in respect of our relationships. I think that is fine, there are no issues there. Of course, turning that into transfers, I’ve said all summer that I’m not involved in negotiations for players, that is separate to me. So, hopefully, that answers the question.”

There's been a lot of talk about one specific player. Has it all been a case of just one player you've been looking at, or have there been alternatives that you've tried to sign?

"Without going into the individual situation here, we've tried to sign several players. It's never been about one player. It can never be about one player, because as soon as you're in that position, then your negotiation strength is over.

"So, no, we've tried for several targets, but it still has to be the right player though. And there isn't an unlimited number of players. It's not like you can, well, we'll just go on to the next one, the next one, the next one. Because then the quality dilutes and then you have to question whether you're doing the right thing for the long-term future of the club.

"There isn't a bottomless pit of money. We're not able to spend that way. Everything that we do has a long-term consequence. So you've got to be very sure whatever you do is right for the long-term future and short-term future of the club."

Would having had a sporting director earlier made it an easier window?

"You can't be dealing in hypotheticals. Possibly, yes. But we'll just have to deal with the reality of what it was."

I think for the first time supporters feel like the club has failed a little bit in this transfer window. What is your response to that please? 

“I'm not going to sit here and say it's been a brilliant transfer window for us. I think everyone will look at me and think I'm not sure he's telling the truth there. I do try as far as I can to tell the truth.

“But it's not been through the want of trying from anybody's perspective and I think for me to sit here and say that would be totally wrong as well. Everyone has tried, really really hard to improve the squad to make sure we've got a chance of success.

“I don't want to repeat myself to previous questions either,  but you'll understand it has to be the right player at the right price. We could easily be sitting here with four or five signings, but if they're all the wrong players, that doesn't do anyone anyone favours either.

“So, it is a difficult balance and yes, it's been a tough window and if it remains the same now, we'll crack on regardless and try and have a great season, while learning the lessons of what's happened. 

Would you refute that the ‘all these eggs all in one basket’ so-called approach?

“Absolutely, but I'm never going to tell you what they are and you'll understand why that would be the case. It's never about one player, we've tried for numerous players.

“But as I said, there's not a bottomless pit of names and we'll say that at the same time, but it wouldn't be for any other club in our position. There's probably four or five players that you go through and once you get to the end of that, you're then going, is this player of sufficient quality.”

The club have not made a major signing since playing in the Champions League - are Newcastle United still moving in the right direction? 

“When you put it like that, that's the position we've been in. That's through the rules that that is so stark, it's not through the club not wanting to do anything. I think I've already answered the rest.”

Are the club facing consequences for taking risks regarding PSR? 

“No, I don't think so. If you go back to when I first came to the club, PSR wasn't really talked about, it's only something that has become relevant after the points deductions some of the clubs suffered last year that has brought it home to everybody just how important it is not to breach PSR and how important that is. That continues to be the narrative that we can't escape short term.

“So what can we do with that situation? We have to be very smart and very careful with what we do right now because in future windows we could be hamstrung if we make the wrong decision. There's a lot that goes into it, it's not as clear as maybe everyone thinks of it.”

You’ve referenced PSR… but were the club able to spend big money on a player? 

“Yes but it absolutely had to be the right player and of course, the more the window has gone on, the right player becomes very hard to find. But you’ve also got to understand with that decision impacts future windows and our PSR situation drastically, so I think then you’ll understand the importance of every decision that we’re making and if you’re not absolutely certain on this being the right direction to take, you can’t take it and you’ll have to make that decision another day.” 

Is the squad stronger than 12 months ago or have you fallen short in the market?

“I’m going to be positive. If we can get some of the injured players back that we have, even currently I think squad is in a really good position but it is a big if because those players aren’t back yet and we’ve just lost Joe Willock who is a massive player and someone that we thought we did have back so it’s an ever-changing situation but I do back the players that we have.

“My message is we are a united football club on every front, I’m not going to go away from that, that’s everyone, you guys as well please because it makes such a difference. The narrative can’t be that we’re in a difficult situation, the season has just started and we’ve got everything to achieve.”

You mentioned PSR changing the transfer window forever, does that mean clubs need to not ask as much money as they are for players?

“I think clubs will always ask whatever they want. Even selling your own house, no-one is going to dictate to you. You dictate your own price. Whether that changes through time, whether that means transfer fees will come down it doesn’t necessarily look like it. I think the market has changed but maybe there’s not the number of players moving for smaller fees but the bigger fees seem to be as big as ever.

“But it has changed and it will continue to change while everyone gets to grips with PSR fully. Let’s see what the future brings on that but it’s certainly a changing environment.”

With your biggest targets, did you not have the PSR headroom or was the price going to impact you too much over time?

“A combination of all.”

What lessons have you learned this summer?

"I don't know because we're working under quite rigid conditions so I don't know if there are any lessons to learn. It's more the conditions that we're working in rather than relationships. That's fine. It's more the situation."

What is a 'right' player?

"The right player is multi-factored, really. It's the right age, the right deal as in transfer fee, the right wages, then the right player to actually come into your squad, the right positional need. There's loads of things. If one of those things is not right, especially financially for us, it puts us in a difficult situation."

Have you had direct conversations with PIF and have they offered reassurances or explanations as to why this is happening?

There is no explanation needed. The situation is based on PSR so I don’t need an answer to that. The rules are creating the issues for us and we’ll try and work under the conditions.”

Yasir Al-Rumayyan said Newcastle want to be No.1. Have fans been sold a false dream, how can you possibly get there without signings?

“I think when PIF took over, and don’t want to speak for PIF, that is very difficult to do, I think the landscape was different then, compared to now. A lot has changed in terms of PSR: the biggest change, the inability to spend, and our need to comply with rules to prevent a points deduction.

“Of course that impacts the ability to progress the club as quickly as maybe they wanted to. I don’t think the dream dies, necessarily, it takes a lot longer. We have got to build our revenue streams, that is the biggest thing. Bring more money into the football club, however we do that, sponsorship, loads of things. That is the big thing we need to focus on in the next ten years, whether I am lucky enough to see any of that, who knows. So the dream is not over, it is just going to take a lot, lot longer.”

Has this been your most hands off transfer window since you came to the club and has that been frustrating?

“Yes, it probably has. You have to understand that in the majority of the other windows the whole structure of the club has been different so that is not necessarily a criticism of the structure we have now. There is different personalities and there’s a different way of working now. Yes, it probably has been the most hands off I’ve been, but that’s not necessarily a negative.”

Has that been a little bit frustrating and have you had to get used to that?

“It’s just a different way of working.”

How do you keep momentum going without players coming into the club who make the team better?

“It’s something I’ve been used to previously. My journey in coaching and management was never about reusing players to make your team better. It was always about coaching to make your team better. That’s always been my philosophy. I know that changes, I’m not stupid. 

“As you get to clubs the size of Newcastle and in an era when there is a lot of pressure to bring in players. But still at my core, coaching is my belief is the most powerful tool you have, so it’s time for me to go to work on the training pitch.

You can feel there is a different mood around the city because of this window, what is the mood of the players?

“If I’m being honest, it probably mirrors the narrative created and it’s my job to shape that in the most powerful way that I can.“What I mean by that is there’s been a number of unsettled players during this window. It’s not been a clear window for us in terms of just bringing players in.“It’s been difficult the other way as well, so I think once the window shuts we’ll have clarity.

“The players will have clarity. ‘Right, we’re all here now together for the same aim and then I’d like to think we will all go together until January in the pursuit of excellence and in the pursuit of success.“We have some brilliant characters in the squad and a great changing room so there is no criticism of the changing room. It’s just it has been unsettling. That’s always difficult when the situation is like that.”