These are turbulent times for Newcastle United.
Indeed, it’s not been an easy season for Newcastle both on and off the pitch.
There have been major changes behind the scenes at St James’ Park, while Eddie Howe is struggling to get another gear out of his team.
The Newcastle United manager questioned the attitude of his players following last weekend’s Premier League defeat at Brentford and, frustratingly, there is seemingly no guarantee of any reinforcements coming during the January transfer window.
Sadly, things appear to be a little stale right now. Hamstrung by PSR limitations, Newcastle are in what appears to be a state of limbo.
Yes, they can still raise the performance levels for big games at home but consistency remains an issue and recent results have been poor.
While not to write off the season as a complete disaster just yet, things do appear to have stalled for the club.
Top players, after all, are being linked away on a rather consistent basis – something that never happened during the early days of the PIF ownership. In fact, several of them are said to have been unsettled at times.
MORE NEWCASTLE STORIES
Now, fresh insight has emerged.
Eddie Howe, Manager of Newcastle United, reacts following the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Aston Villa at St. James Park on Au...
Photo by George Wood/Getty Images
The external transfer message that changed the dynamic at Newcastle
According to Craig Hope of The Daily Mail, the fact CEO (who sadly will be stepping down following a cancer diagnosis) Darren Eales publicly said every player had their price had those inside the dressing room questioning their future.
That, of course, is not to blame Eales. The buying and selling of players is part of the modern game. Even Liverpool had to sell Philippe Coutinho to buy Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk, after all.
Asked in January if every player had a price to be sold given the PSR rules, Eales said (via Sky Sports): “Yes.”
In a video posted on YouTube, Hope revealed: “This journey, it has just slowed you know, it has changed this calendar year since in January Darren Eales said that every player has their price.
“Don’t underestimate how much that permeated the dressing room and how many players now are looking at being elsewhere.”
Newcastle players are looking for excuses
If players see their futures elsewhere, then so be it. The PSR rules – which do not allow clubs to lose more than £105million over a three-year accountancy period – are what they are, sadly.
Still, that shouldn’t offer an excuse. Whether they see their long-term futures at the club or not, the least Newcastle can expect is they remain committed to the cause.
That’s not to say all of the big players have downed tools of course. The fact they have seemed to pick and choose when they show up this season, however, is simply not good enough.
To have reportedly let a rather obvious and vague response from the CEO actually impact them feels a real shame.
Related Posts