- Howe has responded to Paul Mitchell’s claims about Newcastle’s transfer strategy
- Newcastle boss gives his analysis of the club’s past recruitment
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Eddie Howe has hit back at Paul Mitchell’s claims that Newcastle’s transfer strategy is “not fit for purpose” as the head coach said: “We can hold our heads very high.”
During his first press conference since Mitchell’s controversial interview last week, Howe revealed that the two have not spoken in the nine days since then and have had no conversations ahead of the January window. He also said it would not help the current situation if he commented on other aspects of Mitchell’s interview.
But Howe was prepared to respond to claims made by the new sporting director that the club was paying too much for players and comments that his approach was not fit for purpose, and gave a vigorous defence.
“I think there are a number of things about it,” Howe began. “I’m very, very proud of every single player we signed in that period. It’s very easy to look back at any transfer window and judge the players you’ve signed three years later. But you have to go back to the situation we were in at the time, in the relegation zone and trying to sign players. That’s not an easy thing to do.
“You’re not just signing for the short term, you’re signing for the long term. When you look back, that job was good. Our aim was to stay in the league. I’m very, very proud of the job we did and the players we have now, the legacy of those transfer windows. We love them so much. So I think it’s all about the moment you’re in and the decisions you made. I think we can all hold our heads high.”
Eddie Howe (pictured above) has responded to Paul Mitchell’s claims that Newcastle’s transfer strategy is “not fit for purpose”.
Mitchell was pictured joining Howe and the player for pre-season training in Germany.
He added: “Obviously, I’ve played a very important role in those signings and I’ve taken responsibility for all of them. I’ve said that whether they’re good or bad, I’ll take responsibility for them because, ultimately, I’ve always been the one who has made the final decision on those signings and I’ve been very proud to sign those players.”
“I think they’ve been brilliant signings for the future of the club and I believe in them a lot and I still do. You’ve asked me a question and I’ll always try to answer it if I can do so openly and honestly. I’d certainly like to find a few more if I could.”
What did Mitchell mean when he said there was no clear transfer strategy at the club?
“I think that’s up to Paul,” Howe said. “I don’t think I can answer for him. The scouting structure was there, and whatever you think about the structures, I think the results were very good.”
Asked about 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 response to Paul’s press conference. I don’t think that helps our current situation. It’s better for me to concentrate on the future.”
Has Howe spoken to Mitchell since then?
“No, I haven’t had any contact with Paul,” he said. “But I don’t think it’s anything unusual. We have different jobs to do. I’m concentrating on football and the team, and he’s obviously concentrating on his role.”
But Howe returned to the subject of his and the club’s transfers and the need to react to the team’s situation at that particular time.
Mitchell has vowed to play a bigger role in future recruitment at Newcastle.
Newcastle are fifth in the Premier League table after winning two of three games.
“We were in the midst of a relegation fight so yes, a couple of those signings were rather short-term at the time because immediate results were needed,” he added. “Relegation wasn’t something we could contemplate but always in the back of my mind, with every signing I tried to make, it was always about, yes, they can impact the team now, but will they do it in the right way in the future?
“Sometimes there’s a big positional need at the moment and sometimes you buy a player and think in a year he could be a regular starter for us. Those are things that are taken into account.”
“It’s never as clear or as easy as everyone thinks, but the key now is the future and making sure we take advantage of the next windows of opportunity, because ultimately that’s the most important thing at any club: to be successful you have to recruit well.”
