Concern has been gradually growing over the summer but Eddie Howe remains calm
Newcastle United CEO Darren Eales and (inset) Bruno Guimaraes and Eddie Howe
Newcastle United CEO Darren Eales and (inset) Bruno Guimaraes and Eddie Howe
The start of the summer saw Newcastle United fans full of anticipation. A new trading window and the promise of a huge transfer budget was enough to get the pulses racing.
The Magpies had finished off a tremendous, era-defying season in fifth place, qualifying for the Champions League in the process. There were tears of joy and celebrations on the pitch at St James' Park despite a 1-0 loss to Everton.
It came two months after that day at Wembley when Newcastle had ended 56 years without major silverware, beating Liverpool to win the Carabao Cup.
No wonder there was a carnival atmosphere on Tyneside. Now was the time to push on. Bruno Guimaraes even said so in a pitchside interview.
Fans have had to wait for a significant new signing. Players have been brought in but predominantly as back-ups or to boost the Under-21s. No first-team starter had been added for three transfer windows as United cut their cloth accordingly with PSR constraints hampering their ability to bolster Eddie Howe's squad.
Supporters knew this, however. And while they may have been unhappy, they understood the reasons - and also, importantly, understood that this summer could be transformative.
All that patience would be worth it. £73m wiped off the PSR accounts and a transfer budget of - some hoped and wished - around £150m. No wonder there was excitement in the air.
It's taken a month or so for that bubble to burst. No new signings have been made despite Eddie Howe's appeal for speed in the market and frustration is starting to mount. The bombshell of Paul Mitchell's exit didn't help the mood either, while Darren Eales' own departure remains in the air.
Patience is needed, of course. Transfer negotiations are never straightforward but the failed moves for Bryan Mbeumo, Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Anthony Elanga (so far, the latter is still not dead) has meant some sort of panic has set in.
Newcastle fans are now, in the main, altering their expectations of what the 2025/26 season may look like.
There is still a long way to go. The transfer window doesn't close for another 60 days and there will be plenty more twists and turns before then.
Howe is calm and relaxed behind the scenes, even if he did want a couple new players in before the Magpies return to pre-season training on Monday. That looks unlikely but the 47-year-old has been around the block long enough to know that things have a habit of suddenly just falling into place.
Fans are probably less calm, though. The social media reaction and message boards tell their own story. A breakthrough would put everyone's mind at rest. If we are still having the same conversation in 60 days, then it's truly a worry.
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