Eddie Howe sees no reason why Newcastle cannot become the ‘number one club in the world’ – but says that quest will be about more than money and has urged caution amid the euphoria of their dismantling of Paris Saint-Germain.
It is exactly two years since the club’s Saudi-led takeover and, under Howe’s management, they have gone from 19th in the Premier League to the high of Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over PSG in the Champions League.
Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan was at St James’ Park this week, chatting with the head coach after full-time, and his ambition is for Newcastle to be the world’s No.1 club. Howe was asked on Friday if nights like PSG suggest that day is closer than anyone thought.
‘I would urge caution and calmness because we have not proven anything,’ he said. ‘The season is so early and a couple of weeks ago the feeling was very different, and the questions coming to me were very different (on the back of three defeats). We’ve got a lot to prove before we can say anything about what we’ve done.’
Is there any reason why the club cannot fulfil the chairman’s ambition?
‘No, but we’re not the world’s number one club at the moment,’ said Howe. ‘We’ve got to try and work towards that and these things take time – there is no magic wand. Being smart, making good decisions and working hard every day. If that is the ultimate aim, then we will try our best to get that.’
Newcastle have spent around £350million on new players since the takeover, yet three of the scorers against PSG – Miguel Almiron, Sean Longstaff and Fabian Schar – were already at the club. The other was Dan Burn, a £12m buy from Brighton.
Howe added: ‘I’ve always said money is part of our success, but I don’t think it’s the whole story. We very quickly formed a strong bond with the players we inherited. Whether you recruit a player or inherit a player, we try and treat them all the same and develop their careers and coach them to try and be the best that they can possibly be.’
Next month will also mark Howe’s two-year anniversary on Tyneside, and he said: ‘I knew when I was offered the job and I was going to say yes that it was a life-changing moment for me. Thankfully, it has been a great journey so far. I have loved every second of it.
‘I said when I arrived, I was very proud to be Newcastle manager and I’ve never woken up without that feeling. The feeling that I am doing something very special in my life is always there and it’s never something I take for granted.’
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