Eddie Howe has hit back at Paul Mitchell’s claims about Newcastle’s transfer strategy ‘not being fit for purpose’, as the head coach declared: ‘We can hold our heads up very high.’
During his first press conference since Mitchell’s controversial interview last week, Howe revealed the pair have not spoken in the nine days since and there have been no discussions ahead of the January window. He also said it would not help the current situation if he was to comment on other aspects of Mitchell’s interview.
But Howe was prepared to respond to the claims made by the new sporting director about the club overpaying for players and the remark about their approach not being fit for purpose, and he gave a strenuous defence.
‘I think a few things on that,’ began Howe. ‘I’m very, very proud of every single player that we signed in that period. 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. 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.’
He added: ‘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. You’ve asked me a question and I’ll always try and answer it if I can openly and honestly. I’d certainly like to find a few more of them if I could.’
What did Mitchell mean when he said there was no clear transfer strategy at the club?
‘I think that is for Paul to answer,’ said Howe. ‘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.’
When pressed on Mitchell’s claims that he only played a ‘supporting role’ during the summer transfer window after arriving in early July, Howe said: ‘I don’t think it’s right for me to make individual comments in reply to Paul’s press conference. I don’t think that will help our current situation. It’s best for me to focus on the future.’
Has Howe spoken to Mitchell since?
‘No, I’ve had no contact from Paul,’ he 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.’
But Howe did revisit the subject of his and the club’s transfer dealings and the need to react to the team’s situation at that particular time.
‘We were in a relegation battle, so yes a couple of those signings were more short term in that moment, because you needed instant results,’ he added. ‘Relegation was not something we could contemplate but always in the back of my mind, with every signing I tried to make, it’s always about yes, can they impact the team now, but will they impact the team in the right way in the future?
‘Sometimes, there’s a big positional need for the here and now and sometimes you’re buying a player and thinking in a year’s time he could be a regular starter for us. Those are things that go onto it
It’s never as clear or as easy as everyone thinks, but the key thing now is the future and making sure we get future windows right, because ultimately that is the most important thing at the club
