Eddie Howe has warned Jurgen Klopp to be 'careful' with his comments after the Newcastle United boss felt he had to 'stand up' for the club following the Liverpool manager's dig.
Klopp claimed last week that there were 'three clubs in world football who can do what they want financially'. While Klopp did not mention Newcastle specifically, the German went on to say that sporting director Dan Ashworth was 'absolutely right' in declaring there was no ceiling for the Magpies. The Liverpool manager even sarcastically congratulated Newcastle for that before adding that 'other clubs have ceilings'.
Ashworth was, of course, referring to the club's ambitions rather than the amount of money that Newcastle can spend. Although Howe does not tend to get drawn into what other managers say, the Newcastle boss, tellingly, felt the need to clarify that.
READ MORE: Everything Eddie Howe said at his press conference
"It's a difficult one because it's probably been used in the wrong way," he told reporters. "I think what Dan meant with his comment was there's no ceiling to our ambition.
"Long-term, the club have huge plans, huge ambitions, and want to go to places. But the reality of what we are working towards, or working with, there is a ceiling because of all the things I have sat here and explained every week - Financial Fair Play, we're still in a training ground that's been renovated - so we're not living that life that is being discussed.
"We are living a very different reality. Our wage bill is very controlled. We're trying to do things in a very stable and controlled way.
"Although we have spent money on players, it has not been extravagant or out of sync with the rest of the Premier League so everyone has to be careful with comments and opinions. That's just my belief."
This was a pre-match press conference looking ahead to Newcastle's game against Everton on Wednesday night, but it was the Toffees' bitter rivals who took centre stage towards the end of the media briefing. Even Howe's comment that he was 'certainly aware of my demeanour and behaviour on the touchline' and not 'losing my temper or losing control in a negative and aggressive way' felt pointed after Klopp had been sent off for screaming at an official just a few days previously.
Newcastle are currently two places above Liverpool in the table and there is certainly no love lost between the two sides at the moment. Klopp and Howe's exchange follows a stormy game at Anfield back in August when there was a clash between both benches following Fabio Carvalho's dramatic late winner. Newcastle players and staff were then booed off the field by Liverpool supporters at full-time following the 2-1 defeat.
In a way, that reaction was a tribute of sorts to how Newcastle had got under Liverpool's skin. Instead of celebrating a last-minute victory, Liverpool supporters were more concerned with how the visitors had made life difficult for them rather than simply rolling over.
Newcastle are bidding to upset the established order on and off the field so has Howe viewed Klopp's latest comments as another fresh backhanded compliment?
"I try not to spend too much time thinking about it, but I'm just aware that one or two comments might not be totally accurate," he said. "That's when I have to stand up for us."
Newcastle have spent around £210m on new players, including Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier, in 2022 but Howe does not feel that 'spending an awful lot of money is the solution'. Instead, Howe wants to improve the infrastructure and environment that the players are working in and gradually strengthen the squad one piece at a time rather than completing a huge amount of transfers in one go.
"When you know the reality and you know the truth of what we have done since I have been here, we have tried to do things in a very controlled way," he added.
"Certainly, the club could have gone a totally different way with the takeover and everything that came with it and everything that was talked about. We have done it in the opposite way. We have done it in a very cool, calm way. Our wage bill has been very controlled. We haven't splashed the money maybe people thought we would have done initially.
"Yes, the ambition is huge in the long-term but, in the short-term, we are trying to improve everything we deliver for our players as I've said many times and we're still working towards that. We are a long way from where we want to be."
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