HOWE’S RIGHT IN TOON

LET me ask you a question about Newcastle. Had they signed all those ‘star names’ that were linked when the Saudi money poured in, what would you be saying now?

Good job? Great progress? Built a fantastic foundation to get right to the top?

Yep, I reckon it would be a version of that, because to be in the top four argument after just two (and a bit!) transfer windows would be a remarkable achievement.

So let’s give Eddie Howe some credit, instead of the criticism that’s come his way in recent weeks, because his side have ‘fallen away’ a bit.

He didn’t go out and sign a load of star names. He has signed some solid players – to evolve slowly and surely.

Players such as Joe Willock, Chris Wood and Dan Burn weren’t star names, but they were great signings.

Same with Nick Pope (above), Matt Targett, and even Bruno Guimaraes, Sven Botman and Alexander Isak to a certain extent.

They were all bought to provide a foundation for future development. But they found themselves in the top four AND a cup final.

It was really clever, longerterm thinking from Howe.

He could have splashed the riches there with the club’s owners. They didn’t invest in Newcastle through a sense of civic duty to the city, they did it for their own political and financial aims.

It worked with PSG, with Manchester City and with the Qatar World Cup.

But no, it was better to build slowly, build that base before adding the stardust.

Which is exactly what Howe has done – and to brilliant effect. They should make Europe next season, so that will attract even better players. It’s a longer-term plan and, to me, it’s not only making perfect sense, but working effectively, too.