Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has assured fans that PIF remain committed to the cause at the club.
While the Newcastle United owners have had a transformative impact on the club since the takeover in late 2021, there have been frustrations of late.
Alexander Isak wants to leave Newcastle because of a lack of ambition off the field, amid radio silence when it comes to a number of off-field issues on Tyneside.
Despite an urgent need to appoint a new sporting director and CEO, the Magpies remain without both.
PIF have also failed to provide any updates in regard to a new stadium or new training ground.
Indeed, there have also been suggestions that players have been put off signing for Newcastle this summer during a dreadful transfer window for the club.
Still, Howe shared the latest when speaking after Friday night’s draw with Espanyol.
Eddie Howe and Yasir Al-Rumayyan embrace after Newcastle United vs Leicester.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Eddie Howe assures fans that PIF remain ambitious at Newcastle United
The Newcastle United manager was asked about PIF’s ambition at the club during Friday night’s post-match press conference.
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He was asked by a reporter whether the Newcastle owners remained “as engaged as they once were” amid fan frustration on social media.
Still, Howe offered a stirring response.
He said: “The owners are very much engaged, as much as they always have been. There’s a lot going on at the football club behind the scenes to take the club forward.
“Whether that’s stadium related, training ground related, these things unfortunately do take time.
“There’s not a quick decision-making process that can fast-forward any quicker than they take.
“Obviously, I’m not in control of any of the details of that but I am part of board meetings and there’s a lot of talk about the future, they are very much here.
“They’re desperate for success and to take the club forward. This has been a challenging period where there will be a lot of different opinions on different subjects, but I can assure everybody connected with Newcastle that the owners are very much behind the project and fighting every day for the club.”
PIF’s major target at Newcastle United revealed
PIF want Newcastle to consistently challenge for the top five in the Premier League, which does not feel impossible.
Still, the optics of this summer have not been great. While there’s little the club can do if targets simply choose to go elsewhere, the number of weeks that appear to have passed Newcastle by in the transfer market is staggering.
To then be giving Liverpool money in their pursuit of Isak by signing Darwin Nunez for one of their Saudi Arabian clubs is hardly a good look, either.
PIF’s story at Newcastle has been one of rapid-fire success, at least on the pitch. At some point, struggles were always going to come.
However, supporters are well within their rights to question what’s going on. Optics may not be the most accurate reflection in the world but they have been terrible all summer.