Jamie Carragher on Eddie Howe's situation at Newcastle: "Eddie Howe is the number one person, I think in most people's eyes, for the England job. If he's not happy, he's going to go to the England job"
Sunday 15 September 2024 14:53, UK
Jamie Carragher has warned Newcastle to be "very careful" not to lose Eddie Howe to England after the club's disappointing transfer window which left players "unsettled".
Howe told Sky Sports earlier this summer he had "unwavering" commitment to Newcastle amid links with the vacant England post - but added it was contingent on being supported by the club.
The Magpies had already undergone some summer backroom turbulence by that point, with sporting director Dan Ashworth initially put on gardening leave before eventually departing for Manchester United.
Since Howe recorded that interview, only Sheffield United forward William Osula has joined the club, with a prolonged £65m pursuit of Marc Guehi ultimately unsuccessful, and a shock £50m Deadline Day bid for Nottingham Forest's Anthony Elanga also pushed back, leaving the Magpies with a net profit of more than £20m across the course of the window.
That came on the back of a season where Newcastle's lack of squad depth, coupled with a long-running injury crisis, saw them fall from fourth in 2022/23 to seventh, missing out on European football altogether.
Howe has regularly lamented the effects of PSR on his squad, and both Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh were sold on the final accounting day of reporting for 2023/24, raising £65m to help ensure Newcastle will be compliant when their accounts are filed on December 31.
Ahead of the start of the season, Sean Longstaff called Anderson's departure "really disappointing", and added: "Elliot was a massive part of our team, on the pitch, off the pitch.
"He was a massive part of it and I think when we we saw it, we were in shock."
Speaking on Deadline Day, Howe went on to agree his squad had been "unsettled" by concerns over their own futures amid the uncertainty surrounding Newcastle's financial situation.
"If I'm being honest, it probably mirrors the narrative created and it's my job to shape that in the most powerful way that I can," he told reporters.
"It's not been a clear window for us in terms of just bringing players in. It's been difficult the other way as well."
Carragher has championed Howe to be the next England head coach and speaking on Super Sunday, warned Newcastle to be careful of allowing his head to be turned following such a disappointing summer.
"If we're being totally honest, they may have to sell one of their biggest players for £100m to £120m and go again," he said.
"They might have to do that for two or three years before they can bring that revenue in to keep bringing in better players at maybe lesser prices, like what they've done with Guimaraes, with Isak, with Gordon.
"I wasn't worried about Newcastle. Lets talk about them getting all the money and getting trophies, I'm not sure you can right now. There's a lot of pressure from supporters on Darren Eales the CEO, on Paul Mitchell the sporting director as well. They've got to be very careful they don't lose Eddie Howe.
"Eddie Howe is the number one person, I think in most people's eyes, for the England job. If he's not happy, he's going to go to the England job. He will."
Also speaking on Super Sunday, Gary Neville hit out at the restrictive nature of the Premier League's PSR rules in holding back clubs who have not already got to the level of Manchester City and others in being able to invest in their squads to compete at the top end of the Premier League.
He said Newcastle should have had a more productive summer but argued the existing rules, which are in the process of being re-written, were holding the Magpies back from building a better squad after years of low spending under former owner Mike Ashley.
"I think what they've actually done in that first couple of years is build a really good foundation and they've been measured. I think we've all, to be fair, said that they've gone really well. We expected them to come in and be flamboyant, maybe a little bit eccentric. We've seen what Chelsea have done with all that money.
"Newcastle have been measured and I think they've done a really good job. They should have got better players in for them having lost the players that they've lost. I think now it's on that crossroads moment that was always going to come a couple of years in. What do you do next?
"How do you then take it on to that next level? How do you support Eddie Howe to get to where he needs to get to? It's a very challenging moment that we're about to embark upon?
"PSR was never designed so clubs had to sell their best academy players - and that's what we're seeing now.
"Something has to change dramatically in this next 12 months. Newcastle should be able to invest in the squad; PSR needs changing so there's owner investment allowed, and Newcastle can get to the level of Manchester City and other clubs.
"We can't just keep the thumb on club's heads and say 'you're not going to invest'. What we have to do, is do it with security and sustainability in mind. That means the owner funding might have to go in up front. We can't keep Newcastle back and we're holding them back at this moment in time."
