13 January 2024 , 11:34
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Eddie Howe set a challenge for his Newcastle players on Friday - as he laid out the stark position the Toon find themselves in.
Howe basically admitted Newcastle have no cash, no players coming back quickly from injury, and no friends willing to do loan deals. No hope? Despite the short-term nightmare, and tough decisions ahead, there is always hope on Tyneside.
Fans believe the rich Saudi owners are in it for the long haul and will get there in the end. For now, Howe wants his stars to prove their top-six quality, with champions Manchester City visiting St James' Park on Saturday... and a trip to Aston Villa next.
Howe admitted he can't afford to buy a player in the same bracket as Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke, who was linked with a move up north earlier in the week. He echoed chief executive Darren Eales in saying he can’t guarantee top players won’t be sold.
Howe also revealed loan bids have stalled, with Manchester City's Kalvin Phillips a target. Howe said: "I'm not sure we have many friends in the market."
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But Howe will keep trying to drive Newcastle upwards, especially after their dip in form before beating Sunderland 3-0 last week, when he saw a refreshed, non-fatigued return to form. The Magpies boss was asked if it's premature to think the Premier League's top six has turned into a top seven following his team's much-needed victory.
Howe replied: "For us, it’s a longer-term vision. I don’t think you can suddenly put yourself in that (top six) bracket. You have to prove it year on year. The accounts have given an insight into how far we have to go to become the team that everyone wants us to be."
Manchester City's income is £710million, compared to Newcastle's £250m. Howe added: "There was this conception when the owners took over that we were the richest club in the world. Then reality is that’s not really important when talking about FFP, that’s irrelevant.
Newcastle may struggle to afford Kalvin Phillips (Getty Images)What do you make of Eddie Howe's transfer admissions? Let us know in the comments below!
"My job is to push as hard as I can to improve the team. Whether that is coaching or in the boardroom. My primary job is the team and to make it the best I can. So, I will continue to do that.
"I have to respect and understand the football club’s health and that’s the primary concern of everybody because we want Newcastle United here for the next 500 years. We want it in a really good place and we have a long-term job."
Howe reacted to Newcastle officials publishing the club’s accounts on Thursday, which showed a £73m loss last year and them up against profit and sustainability rules (PSR). On Solanke, Howe said: "It is a frustrating story. We have not made an enquiry. I love Dominic and signed him, and rate him highly. We don’t have the ability to sign a player of that level."
Joelinton is the latest Newcastle star to suffer an injury (Getty Images)Howe was asked to give assurances that stars like Bruno Guimaraes, Alexander Isak and Sean Longstaff won't be sold. He replied: "I can’t offer any assurance on that regardless of our FFP situation. You can never tell what will happen in football.
"Every Premier League club will sell players. Man City have sold some very good players. Their income is the highest of any club. That is the landscape for everyone. We reluctantly sold Allan Saint-Maximin in the summer."
Newcastle currently have no plans to spend this month. They’d like to loan Phillips and Howe will push to do something because Joelinton is the latest player out injured for six weeks. But it’s tough going and Howe admitted: “I'm not sure there's many clubs out there that are willing to help us currently. To agree to a loan deal, you need the club to agree to that deal so we're in that moment.”
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Asked directly about selling a homegrown academy player, who offer pure profit to help ease their PSR position, Howe did offer encouragement to local lad Longstaff. He said: "The rules are a shame because it shouldn’t be that way. Players you invest in and develop shouldn’t be the ones you benefit more from selling.
Howe has praised Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola ahead of their clash on Saturday (Getty Images)"Sean has a long-term future here. Hopefully, I have demonstrated that with my picking of him in most games I have had the opportunity to. He has become a vital part of my midfield.
"So yeah, we love him and we love Lewy (Lewis Miley) and all our academy kids. They have an attachment to the football club that you can only have being local. We desperately don’t want to lose that.”
On Joelinton, Howe said: "It’s not good, he will miss a minimum of six weeks. It is a real blow for us. He has had a stop-start season. He has had a few problems and this is a big one."
Howe also described Pep Guardiola as the "best manager in the world". He added: "City are the team to beat. Their record has been incredible. They have always timed their run, second half of the season, they have got momentum and been difficult to play against. But we can compete."