Newcastle United set to revisit major Premier League deal in January after transfer gamble

The window shut on Friday night and there is a lot to address from the last two to three months.

Premier League Profitability & Sustainability Rules (PSR) madness

Nobody really knew how perilous Newcastle’s PSR situation was until it came to the crunch as the club scrambled until the 11th hour to raise funds in order to avoid a points deduction.

The truth was, no players were off the table, and one of United’s ‘unsellables’ was caught up in the middle as the possibility of Anthony Gordon joining Liverpool was floated about it.

It wasn’t until the sales of promising young duo Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh to Nottingham Forest and Brighton & Hove Albion, respectively, when Gordon was safe. It was either sell a big hitter or part with youth. Neither outcome was wanted, but the latter was chosen.

With the likes of Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron regularly linked with leaving, it’s no wonder Howe believes the summer has had an unsettling effect on his squad.

“There’s been a number of unsettled players during this window,” he said. “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.”

A remarkable meeting Germany after boardroom changes

A pre-season that started at the home of Adidas - it was no celebration of a new, loving partnership. In fact, it was more a hint that divorce was an option as Howe came to terms with new boardroom structure.

In Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi, he lost two major allies, with CEO Darren Eales and new sporting director Paul Mitchell now heading up the football club. There’s James Bunce too, a performance director essentially appointed to scrutinise the physical load placed upon players in training.

It all came at a time when Howe was touted as favourite for the England job, but that was only used as leverage when he sat down in a remarkable press conference with local and national journalists.

He appeared as a man who was very unsettled and wanted to retain some level of power. He constantly stressed he wants to stay but needs to be happy. Looking back now, that definitely set the tone for the summer.

How is the dynamic now? “We’re working well, in respect of our relationships,” said Howe. “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.

“It probably has been the most hands off I’ve been, but that’s not necessarily a negative.”

A tiresome Marc Guehi chase

From the beginning of August right up until the final week, Newcastle thought they could sign Marc Guehi only for Crystal Palace to stand firm. £70m was the demand, a fee that is quite simply ridiculous, but the Eagles were under no pressure to sell after offloading Michael Olise and Joachim Anderson.

It felt like Guehi or bust, and that was proved really, although Howe refuted claims the club had put ‘all their eggs in one basket’, citing PSR and needing to acquire the “right players” when asked about alternatives.

"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."

It’s widely expected that Newcastle will return for the England international in January when he has 18 months left on his contract.

Failure to improve the starting XI

Not many would have predicted that Will Osula’s arrival from Sheffield United on August 8 would be the club’s last signing of the summer.

Osula, for all the promise that surrounds the 21-year-old, doesn’t immediately improve the starting XI. Neither does Odysseas Vlachodimos and neither does John Ruddy - two goalkeepers that may never play a game for Newcastle United.

Lloyd Kelly might in time but a free transfer from AFC Bournemouth is hardly the marquee signing people expected. Howe needed a right forward and right-sided centre-back to guarantee taking the team to the next level, and ended up with neither. That is a failure.

Newcastle haven’t strengthened accordingly, while - from the outside looking in - rivals such as West Ham United, Brighton and Aston Villa have. When you don’t evolve in football, you tend to standstill or worse, go backwards, and those aren’t words you want to read when Champions League or at least European qualification is the expectation - as publicly declared by Eales.

United have passed up the chance to move forward. Instead, they’ve gambled until January at least. Time will tell if it pays off.

On a (big) side note - you wonder what message this sends out to the likes of Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Gordon. Certainly, the worry is United might not be as successful in keeping their ‘crown jewels’ in 12 months time if success doesn’t follow.

Do PIF really want Newcastle to be number one?

Things are better, so much better, but this was a transfer window that wouldn’t have looked out of place under former owner Mike Ashley.

The difference is, supporters expect more nowadays, and rightly so. This isn’t delusion, as some might paint, but a picture built up by figureheads at the club. It was only 14 months ago chairman Yasir Al Rumayyan said the ambition was to be “number one”.

Actions, of course, speak louder than words and for the majority of the three years since PIF took charge, it’s been joyful, exciting. But the last two to three months have been anything but. Have fans been sold a ‘false dream’?

“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,” Howe answered. “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.”

Everything said...

Everything said, Newcastle are only three games into the new season, and while their performances have still left a lot to be desired, they’ve made a respectable start with four points from Southampton and AFC Bournemouth, and progression into the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Amid the frustration and disappointment, it should be stressed that Howe’s squad - boosted by the return of Sandro Tonali - is strong, as long as it isn’t hit by injuries once more.

Howe called for unity at his media briefing on Friday and he’ll get it - starting against Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park this weekend.

“I understand the fans frustration and I share it,” Howe said. “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 apart, we have to be united now more than ever. That 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.”

Getting results between now and January is one way, or maybe the only way, of lifting the mood on Tyneside.