While Lee Carsley has been appointed interim England manager, Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has long been viewed as the perfect man to replace Gareth Southgate on a permanent basis.
Since joining the Magpies in 2021, the 46-year-old has vastly improved the club’s fortunes, guiding them to a top-four finish in the 2022/23 season.
His stellar record in the North-East hasn’t gone unnoticed by fans and media alike, with many regarding Howe as the natural successor to Gareth Southgate, who stood down as England manager earlier this summer.
Newcastle chief Paul Mitchell isn’t ‘scared’ of FA interest in Eddie Howe
While some Sporting Directors would baulk at the prospect of their club’s manager being interviewed for the vacant England role, Newcastle United’s Paul Mitchell seemingly isn’t one of them.
Mitchell, who became Newcastle’s new Sporting Director in early July, recently discussed Howe’s future in an interview with the Evening Standard.
He explained: “I’ve never been scared of interest in any of our staff members, especially our head coach, and especially from a level of organisation that the FA is.
“We want Eddie Howe as our head coach for as long as we can. But we recognise that we are on a journey, and we recognise his quality and his potential as well. I think it’s recognition of the two-and-a-half years he’s had here, and the job he did at Bournemouth.”
“He is a senior member of our team and I want Eddie to be able to feel like he’s doing the best job he possibly can,” added Mitchell.
The former Monaco Sporting Director also emphasised the importance of forging a close relationship with Howe, who he remains in daily communication with.
Mitchell explains: “Part of that responsibility is supplying him with the maximum tools to do his job, and I feel like I can deliver that, but it [is] really the start of our relationship and we’ve got to find that nice balance between who does what.
“Every single player we looked at [in the summer], Ed [Howe] wanted to try to sign, or wanted to have an extensive conversation. There was no player where we got to a certain level of discussion… that he wasn’t part of the deciding and saying, ‘that’s the guy I want’.”
Paul Mitchell details Newcastle’s summer PSR scare
It’s been a testing first few months for Mitchell in his new role, as PSR rules forced the club into taking some difficult transfer decisions – including the sales of Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh.
Further still, Jamie Carragher believes Newcastle could sell some of their star players to avoid future PSR-related punishments.
The financial limitations placed on the Magpies also hindered their efforts to recruit players, as Newcastle failed to complete a deal for Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi this summer.
“We got away with it [breaching PSR rules] by the skin of our teeth,” admitted Mitchell. “We need to make sure that we don’t end up back there any time soon, because we just survived.
“I don’t think anyone understood the impact PSR would have on people’s strategies or abilities to spend. Unless some adjustments are made (to the rules), that will have to be a real factor in all your considerations.
“Over a long period of time, we’re going to have to adjust tactically and strategically to this new challenge that we have.”
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
