Newcastle fans should take a deep breath despite all the noise, writes GRAEME SOUNESS… plus why Man United shouldn’t be relying on a 19-year-old

I remember once, when I was manager of Newcastle United, asking a Sky journalist why the media in Newcastle go out onto the streets more than in any other city for what I think they call ‘vox pops’. He said: ‘Because you get a more dramatic reaction there than anywhere else.’

I think that’s been the story of the last week, with the reaction to Newcastle United’s transfer window and this sudden sense of crisis at the club. You look at some of the headlines and you’d think all hell is breaking loose there.

That is certainly not how I see the situation around a club that, let’s not forget, is fourth in the Premier League after three weeks – so early in the season. I think it is time for Newcastle to take a breath, calm down and get a good perspective.

They haven’t had an active window. Eddie clearly has his thoughts on where they need to strengthen and if you read between the lines of his public comments there is some discord. But let’s not forget that the club appear to have thrown the boat out and offered £65m for Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.

That deal fell through when Palace tried to negotiate Newcastle over a fee of £70m, but this seems to me a club willing to back their manager’s judgement.

There are new people in their positions. Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, the former co-owners with whom Eddie seems to have had a good working relationship, are gone now. There is a new sporting director in Paul Mitchell. I know sometimes new people come in who want their own man as manager, but Eddie is popular at Newcastle for a reason. He has done very well so far.

There are certainly big challenges. Expectations were clearly through the roof when the Saudi Arabian takeover happened, but because of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules – the ‘PSR’ that has suddenly become such a big part of our football vocabulary – the club is constrained in what they can spend.

Mitchell was talking this week about the club getting a ‘Newcastle prize’ if they bid for a player. To which I say: ‘Welcome to the big boys’ league.’ There’s certainly nothing new about that.

If a big Premier League club wants a player, they are being taxed twice: because they are in the richest league and because they are one of the richest clubs. Manchester City have had to live with that in their recent history.

It’s been the same for Chelsea since Roman Abramovich took over. It’s also the same for Manchester United and Liverpool. It’s definitely something you have to get used to when you’re one of the really big boys. Live with it.

How do you manage to deal with this double bind of PSR and a large club tax? By developing a recruitment team that is truly top notch.

My old club, Liverpool, were top of their class when it came to that, under Jurgen Klopp, who spent like £36m on Mo Salah, £27m on Sadio Mane. Klopp’s net spend in his nine years at Anfield was £254m, the lowest of the so-called ‘top six.’

Newcastle have had a good start under the Saudis in the transfer market, but £65m for Guehi? From the outside it seemed to me they were prepared to be tickled there, because I’m just not convinced you can value that player for that kind of price.

Eddie not getting the player he wanted could be a good thing. A quiet window is not necessarily a bad window if there is no value.

That Newcastle squad doesn’t look too bad to me. Eddie has got the club into the Champions League and after being unlucky to miss out on the knockout stages I think they should be able to get back into the elite competition.

The problem is that fans in the North East have had a taste of the Champions League and want more. That’s where the pressure comes from, but who said it would be easy? Extreme pressure has existed in professional football for centuries.

LEE CARSLEY IS THE EASY OPTION FOR ENGLAND

I think Lee Carsley will eventually get the job as England manager after his three games as interim boss, because those opponents – Ireland on Saturday night, Finland next Tuesday and Greece next month – are nowhere near England’s level. I would imagine England will win by three or four goals each time.

Carsley was successful when he was England Under-21 manager, but England always seem to thrive at youth and under-21 level because the players are given the best of everything within the rich academy system.

That’s why I don’t see Carsley’s success at under-21 as being hugely important to qualify him for the top job. He’s never been at the front, coaching the big players and making decisions under pressure with the whole world watching.

Appointing him as manager seems like a very easy succession. He wears the jacket well. He knows how the FA works and it is also a very easy move for them. But for me he is not the standout candidate. He is the easy candidate.

The outstanding candidate is Eddie Howe, who has spent five or six years dealing with Premier League players. I think it helps to have worked in that bear pit because not all games go to plan and as England manager you are asked to make decisions under pressure.

If you’ve never experienced that kind of pressure, you’re probably learning it on the job. Is that really what England want when they’re up against the wall at a World Cup in two years’ time?

DON’T OVERPLAY YOUNG TALENT KOBBIE MAINOO

Would Real Madrid trust a 19-year-old to run the show for them from the centre of midfield, such a crucial position? Would Bayern Munich, Man City, Arsenal or Liverpool do the same?

My question is a rhetorical one. Ideally you want to see a 19-year-old come in and out of a team – hopefully a winning team – and let him bleed softly, not be given full responsibility, as Kobbie Mainoo was, again, for Manchester United against Liverpool last Sunday.

The burden of responsibility the young man has had to bear for the past six months could bury him. I worry about him. Introduce him slowly. Let him gain experience along the way.

SUPPORT SOUNESS’ 85 MILE BIKE RIDE

The weather has not yet been kind to my teammates and me as we prepare for our fundraising mission for my charity DEBRA UK. As I mentioned last week, I will be doing an 85 mile cycle ride from Dover to London after my team have swum the Channel both ways, with me in the boat, sometime this month.

My charity supports people with the skin condition Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), also known as butterfly skin. You helped me so much last year with an incredible show of support during our Channel swim and I would be so grateful if you could help us again if you can.

You just have to go to this link – Give.AS/debrachallenge24. Thank you!