Simon Jordan and Graeme Souness have both questioned Newcastle United's decision to hand Eddie Howe a new contract. The Magpies head coach has been rewarded for a fine start at St James' Park with a new long-term deal.
Howe guided Newcastle to a mid-table finish last term after a remarkable turnaround coupled with a January transfer spend in excess of £90 million led to the team pulling clear of relegation danger. United comfortably dispatched Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season, with several commentators suggesting the Magpies could mount a push for European football this season.
News of Howe's contract renewal was celebrated by the Toon Army, but Jordan and Souness have questioned the need for an extension at this stage. The former Bournemouth boss had two years left to run on his previous deal.
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Howe's renewal prompted a lengthy exchange covering Financial Fair Play, Souness' time on Tyneside and the expectations for Newcastle this season. Here is a full transcript of the discussion between Jordan, Souness and host Jim White on Monday's edition of talkSPORT's White and Jordan show.
GS: No, I don't think so a year in. He's done a great job so far, he came into a team that wasn't playing the kind of football they wanted to watch. He changed that, he changed the results and so far he's done a great job.
The pressure comes when you start spending money as a manager. They want to be one of the big clubs out there with their new owners. They can achieve that but it'll have to be a slow burn because of Financial Fair Play.
What I'd suggest is it is new people running a football club. I'm asking you as an ex-owner...
SJ: I agree, I don't think there's a necessity for it. He didn't have an 18-month contract, he had a two-and-a-half year contract. He came through the door and spent £93 million in January, and did a good job.
I was doubting it, I thought he bottled the job at Celtic and was curious about his outlook and his disposition. But I was wrong, because I think he's gone up there and done a decent job.
He galvanised a base that was galvanisable, they had 14 years of Mike Ashley. They hated everything to do with Mike Ashley, anyone coming through the door that gave them a shard of light and hope, they were going to get behind.
I'm not entirely sure what the purpose of it is. He has got two years left on his contract. Stability - yes, you've got him for two years. Eddie Howe has an opportunity to build a football side, he's got two years left on his deal, there was no necessity for it so I'm not entirely sure of the purpose of it.
JW: It's a show of faith, they were looking doomed when he came in.
SJ: Yes, I know that but two years left Jim. It's not an 18-month contract with [Antonio] Conte or [Jurgen] Klopp running it down and everyone going is he going to be leaving?
He's got two years left, and it's more for Eddie Howe to prove quite frankly about how he's going to be able to spend this money. It's one thing managing Bournemouth, it's another thing going into Newcastle with it's abundance of so-called riches, with an ownership model I don't particularly like or agree with, but I don't think Financial Fair Play is going to be a problem for them.
One thing Mike Ashley did was run a tight ship, so they're not in losses. Whatever losses they're in, they're allowable losses they can adjust for. They could probably spend £500m and get away with it.
GS: There's a familiar tone that people who run football clubs as a business become unpopular.
A clip of Eddie Howe addressing Financial Fair Play is played where the Newcastle boss says the regulations will 'continue to impact' the club for a 'number of years'.
SJ: That is nonsense because they were trying to buy James Maddison for £40m-£50m last week weren't they? They've spent £45m in the transfer window, if they buy Maddison then that's £95m.
The argument Financial Fair Play will cut them deep, they've got three years of mobility to be able to meet the obligations of £105m worth of losses. They've also got a regime where whether they like it or they didn't, was run in an economical fashion and didn't post huge losses.
So Newcastle are in a situation where they could probably spend £500m on players over the next two or three years, and not contravene Financial Fair Play. Unless they of course they get relegated, but they wouldn't, would they? They'd have a side capable of competing in the division.
JW: So Graeme, you don't think Eddie is deserving of this new deal?
GS: It's not undeserving...it just tells me there's new people making football decisions.
JW: But undeniably what he's got is a decent connection with the Newcastle fans. You know these fans and ended up with a disconnect.
GS: It's a difficult job. I never had a job - I've had eight jobs at some very big football clubs - where people were not rowing in the same direction. I didn't feel any togetherness up there from day one. Maybe that was from the owner [Freddy Shepherd].
JW: Why do you think there was a disconnect from day one?
GS: Not the minute I walked into the place, but there was a feeling around the place. I think there was an expectation from the supporters - quite rightly so as there's got to be an expectation from supporters.
SJ: You say that, and they'll be outraged.
JW: Was it realistic?
GS: No because it had to be a case of you were going to build it. You look at managers that had had that job prior to me, some proper managers, the last time they won a trophy was 1968. That's 50 years ago. They have issues up there, or they've had issues up there.
JW: Was that the defining moment?
GS: 100%. I didn't want to be answerable to the people. I'm a big boy, I've had lots of criticism. In fact, I used to enjoy it when I was a player.
People weren't booing me, I felt I wasn't doing my job properly. That wasn't at Anfield, that was away from home. Up there, I found it very, very difficult to feel you were part of it.
They have chopped and changed their managers....
JW: Did you feel like an outsider?
GS: No, I didn't feel like an outsider. I can take as much stick as they want to give me, that's not a problem. It wasn't a job that I enjoyed, and after that job I didn't want to be answerable to the kind of people that are now running football clubs and the kind of people making football decisions.
SJ: What do you think of the direction of travel for Newcastle is now? You've got a situation now where you've got this galvanised spirit, this outpouring of relief that Ashley has gone.
He's got that bump, you've got people in there who are giving him pretty much what he wants. They've now given him a contract for another four years. What do you think the direction of travel for Newcastle is?
GS: I'm with you, I'm not comfortable with the owners that have put money in to buy that football club. I don't believe it's the right thing for the Premier League, or any thing.
Then I would say Saudi Arabia don't play second fiddle to anyone. They're the big guys in the Middle East, they're used to being the top dogs in whatever they do. If they can get it going to a point where they are showing signs of getting up there and challenging, the Financial Fair Play argument will go out of the window.
They'll take it on the chin and take the consequences. They will do that. They will spend a lot of money doing that.
If you're a Newcastle supporter, if you forget who the owners are, if you can park that and forget who they are and what they're guilty of, then onwards and upwards for them. But I am uncomfortable talking about it.
SJ: Can you see any case of Newcastle getting in the top six this season?
GS: No. You haven't even mentioned Arsenal, Arsenal have made good signings and I think they'll be better this year. We've spoken about Spurs, Man United have to be better than what they showed at the weekend.
JW: Do you think Eddie Howe has made the best connection with the supporters there since Sir Bobby?
GS: Yeah, I think there's an argument for that but I think there are reasons for that. The one Simon alluded to where you've got the club at a low, they were angry with the owner and the brand of football they were watching.
A young man comes along who is easy on the eye, he speaks well in front of the camera, and he's got them playing a brand of football that's entertaining and winning games. That along with the Mike Ashley ownership, the timing was perfect.
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