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- Magpies boss believes St. James’ Park outfit can one day rival Sunday’s opponents Manchester United
NEWCASTLE: Eddie Howe believes Newcastle United can one day be as huge as Manchester United, such is the ambition of the club’s Saudi Arabian owners.
A little more than 12 months ago Newcastle were bought out of their 15-year Mike Ashley purgatory when the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia purchased an 80 percent stake in the football club. PCP Capital Partners, headed by dealmaker Amanda Staveley, and RB Sports & Media share the remaining 20 percent in the ownership model.
So much has changed at St. James’ Park in the past year, but there is still so much to improve on. And while Howe accepts the two clubs are nowhere close to a level playing field now, he does not doubt the ambition of the PIF and chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan will eventually see the Magpies compete at Europe’s top table.
“I don’t like to put ceilings on individual players and I don’t like to put ceilings on clubs either,” said Howe, whose side take on fifth-placed Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
“Looking at my own history, Bournemouth were associated as a League One, League Two team, primarily League One, but we have seen them grow into a Premier League club. So why not?
“The aim of this club and the ambitions behind the scenes are huge. I’ve always got to try and deliver those ambitions and that will take time. But there’s no ceiling here.
“When you see the passion around the city, the thing that always blows me away is the young people here — the 12, 13, 14-year-olds, their passion for Newcastle. It runs through generations and that won’t stop.
“What will happen, hopefully, is the global brand and the global enthusiasm for Newcastle will grow if the club can be successful.
“I am putting more pressure on myself here, but that is the challenge and that is where the club wants to be.
“Who knows what the future will look like in 20 or 30 years?”
It’s tough to pitch where Newcastle’s ambitions currently lie.
This time in 2021 the club were without a win in the Premier League and staring down the barrel of relegation to the English Championship.
Roll the clock forward and what a difference a year makes, as United have lost just once in their opening 10 games in all competitions.
That has some saying that European places, often taken by the top-seven sides, is not out of all realms of possibility for current sixth-place occupiers Newcastle.
Does that prediction sit well with Howe?
“It sits with me fine. If people want to talk about us like that and in those positions, I’ve no issue with that,” he said.
“We have to remain very level and calm internally. I know our form has been good, consistently, for a long period of time but form can change.
“My job is to keep everyone grounded internally, keep the players very focused on the short-term objectives because we have a key group of games coming up before the World Cup and we have to keep being successful and keep picking up points.
“If we can do that and go into the turn of the year in a good position and rightly so (we will be talked about as European contenders). But it can change. The points totals in the league, the league is very condensed, and a bad run of form can knock you off your target.
“I’m very relaxed about the situation, we need to pick up points in this run of games this week.”
Meanwhile, on the injury front, Eddie Howe has revealed that he will not have Alexander Isak or Jonjo Shelvey back for the trip to northwest England.
The duo are edging closer to a Newcastle return but this game, and likely the midweeker against Everton, will come around too soon for the pair.
Howe said: “Alex is making progress but he’s not available for this game.”
When asked whether Isak may face Everton or even Tottenham Hotspur next weekend, Howe continued: “Difficult to say at this moment in time. I’d probably say the three-game week might be difficult.”
Shelvey, meanwhile, has missed the whole of the season, having picked up a muscle problem in the friendly with Benfica in July.
“Yeah, he’s getting closer,” said Howe.
“He has trained, not necessarily full training at this moment in time, but he’s very, very close. He’s doing very well.”