Eddie Howe hits back at Paul Mitchell’s claims after Newcastle’s sporting director labelled their transfer strategy ‘not fit for purpose’… and reveals the pair have NOT spoken since his controversial interview

Eddie Howe has responded to Paul Mitchell’s claims that Newcastle’s transfer strategy is ‘not fit for purpose’. The head coach stated: ‘We can hold our heads high.’

In his first press conference since Mitchell’s controversial interview last week, Howe revealed that the pair have not spoken in the nine days since then and that there had been no talks leading up to the January window. He also said that it would not help the current situation if he commented on other aspects of Mitchell’s interview.

Howe was however prepared to respond to the new technical director’s claims that the club was paying too much for players and that their approach was not fit for purpose. He defended himself vigorously.

“I think there are a couple of things,” Howe began. “I’m very, very proud of every player we’ve signed in that period. It’s very easy to look back at a transfer window and make a judgement on the players you’ve signed over three years.

‘But you have to go back to the situation when we were in those moments, in the relegation zone and trying to recruit players. That is not easy to do.

Eddie Howe (pictured above) has responded to Paul Mitchell’s claims that Newcastle’s transfer strategy is ‘not fit for purpose’

Mitchell pictured joining Howe and the player for pre-season training in Germany

“You don’t just recruit for the short term, you recruit for the long term. If you look back, that work was good. Our goal was to stay in the competition.

‘I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve done and the players we now have from the legacy of those transfer windows.

“We love them to bits. So I think it’s about the moment you’re in that moment and the decisions you’ve made. I think everyone can hold their heads really high.”

He added: ‘Those signings, I’ve obviously played a big part in them, and I’ve taken responsibility for all those signings. I said that even if they’re good or bad, I’ll take responsibility for that, because ultimately I was always the final decision maker on those signings, and I was very proud to sign those players.

‘I think they’ve been brilliant additions to where we were and the long-term future of the club and I really believe in them and I still do. You asked me a question and I’ll always try to answer it openly and honestly if I can. I’d definitely like to find a few more if I could.’

What did Mitchell mean when he said there was no clear transfer strategy at the club?

“I think that’s for Paul to answer,” Howe said. “I don’t think I can answer it for him. The scouting structure was there, and whatever you think of the structures, I thought the results were very good.”

Mitchell has vowed to play a more dominant role in future recruitment at Newcastle

When pressed about Mitchell’s claims that he only played a ‘supporting role’ during the summer transfer window following his arrival in early July, Howe said: ‘I don’t think it’s appropriate to make individual comments in response to Paul’s press conference. I don’t think that will improve our current situation. It’s best for me to focus on the future.’

Has Howe spoken to Mitchell since then?

“No, I haven’t had any contact with Paul,” he said. “But I don’t think that’s unusual. We have different roles. I’m focused on the football and the team, and he’s clearly focused on his role.”

However, Howe returned to the subject of his transfer deals with the club and the need to respond to the team’s situation at the time.

“We were in a relegation battle so yeah, some of those signings at that point were short-lived because you needed immediate results,” he added.

‘Relegation wasn’t something we thought about, but it was in the back of my mind. Every transfer I wanted to make, I asked myself if they could have an impact on the team now, but also if they could have a positive impact on the team in the future.

Newcastle are fifth in the Premier League table after winning two of their three games

‘Sometimes there is a big positional need for the here and now and sometimes you buy a player and you think he can be a regular starter for us in a year. Those are the things that come with it.

‘It’s never as clear or easy as everyone thinks, but the most important thing now is the future and making sure we manage future transfer windows well. Because that’s ultimately the most important thing at any club. To be successful, you have to recruit well.’