Eddie Howe has revealed the ‘ambition and drive to be successful’ is still at Newcastle United following a series of high-level meetings
Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was among those present as Newcastle executives held a number of summits at Matfen Hall in Northumberland on Monday. Howe stressed a lot had been discussed, which was ‘probably not for public consumption’, but the Newcastle boss was encouraged by what he saw and heard during the gatherings he attended.
“I can’t say anything,” Howe smiled. “But I was. I was very pleased because the ambition and drive to be successful is still very much there from everyone connected with the club.”
It was just a couple of days ago that Howe said Al-Rumayyan remained ‘very invested’ in Newcastle, after the PIF governor watched the win against Nottingham Forest, and the Magpies boss reiterated on Tuesday that ‘you see how much he directly cares about everything that’s going on here’. Those words felt timely following external questions about where Newcastle rank in the PIF’s huge portfolio, particularly after PSR restrictions slowed the rapid pace of the project.
The coming months will certainly tell us more about the PIF’s plans and finding ways to turbocharge the club’s income streams is going to be crucial. It felt significant, then, that as well as holding talks about strategy and conducting department reviews in recent days, Al-Rumayyan and the hierarchy held discussions about the club’s infrastructure as the Magpies weigh up whether to transform St James’ Park or to build a new stadium not too far away.
This is one of the many off-the-field decisions that will have an impact on Newcastle’s ability to boost revenues and close the gap on the established order in the years to come. Newcastle may currently be in fifth place in the table, but there is clearly work to do in that regard.
“If we’re going to catch the teams above us, we certainly need to drastically improve everything we are delivering,” Howe admitted. “That goes right across the board in every department of the football club because we have so much to do to get to the top.
“It’s not going to happen just by thinking it; it’s not going to happen by willing it. We have to actually deliver it and that takes money, investment, smart thinking, strategic thinking, which I know is going on at the club, but then we need to implement it.”
When Al-Rumayyan last visited Tyneside, in September, senior figures discussed how Newcastle were going to have to ‘map this differently’ compared to the previous two-and-a-half years, whether that was stretching the club’s scouting radius, targeting undervalued talent or, most importantly, adopting a more strategic trading model. Interestingly, when Paul Mitchell faced the media a few days later, the sporting director cited ‘learnings’ in Liverpool’s practices .
Liverpool have admittedly started from a much higher base, but the league leaders have traded smartly over the years while also boosting their other revenue streams. According to Deloitte, Liverpool brought in £210m more in commercial revenue than Newcastle last year as well as £53m more in match day income following the relatively recent expansion of Anfield. These sizeable numbers contributed to an overall turnover of £592.7m, which has given Liverpool greater PSR headroom as a result, but will there be a time where Newcastle can compete with such sides in the transfer market?
“It can in the future,” Howe added ahead of his side’s trip to Anfield on Wednesday night. “In terms of an actual date for that? That’s very difficult to predict from my perspective, but there’s a willingness, ideas and bright thinking to get there.
“It may take a bit of time because these clubs that we’re talking about are way ahead of us in terms of their income, but that’s all part of the club’s growth. That will take time and I think everyone would acknowledge that.”
View news Source: https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/newcastle-united-reaction-after-yasir-31077002
