ON the face of it, Eddie Howe got exactly what he wanted from his unexpected outburst in Germany last week.

Speaking at Newcastle United’s training base at Adidas HQ, Howe spelled out his frustration at the way in which the summer has played out so far, voiced his concerns at the blurred boundaries that have resulted from changes in both personnel and the shape of the Magpies’ executive structure and called for clarity over his role and remit as head coach. All amid the backdrop of growing speculation linking him with the vacant England job.

“There’s absolutely no point in me saying I’m happy staying at Newcastle if the dynamic isn’t right,” was probably the key phase.

It felt like a direct challenge to Howe’s employers on Tyneside, and it elicited a response. Subsequent to Howe speaking so directly and so publicly, new sporting director Paul Mitchell and chief executive Darren Eales have both reached out to the head coach to offer reassurances about the impact of the summer reorganisation and explanations of how the new roles at the club will be delineated. Howe seems to have got the answers he wanted, and while he will perhaps no longer have the sweeping authority he enjoyed when working with Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi, formerly two of his key allies, particularly when it comes to transfer issues, he has been assured that he will continue to be heavily involved in all key decisions pertaining to the first team.

Clearly, Mitchell and Eales want Howe to stay. After a summer of considerable upheaval, the last thing Newcastle’s key powerbrokers want is to lose their head coach, even if there is an acceptance that if the FA come calling and Howe decides he wants to succeed Gareth Southgate and lead his country, the situation will be taken out of their hands.

Let’s assume for now that doesn’t happen. Let’s assume Howe remains in charge of Newcastle next season. Well, while last week’s events might have strengthened his position in the here and now, they could have weakened it in the long term. Mitchell and Eales might have given Howe the assurances he was seeking, but they will want something in return. And that something will be a marked improvement on last season’s results and performances, which saw Newcastle miss out on Europe, albeit in somewhat unfortunate circumstances as Manchester United’s surprise FA Cup win edged them out of the UEFA Conference League.

There were excuses for Newcastle’s up-and-down campaign last season – chronic injury problems, the demands of the Champions League, Sandro Tonali’s shock betting ban – but they won’t really wash over the course of the next ten months. Out of Europe, with a much-reduced fixture list, and with Tonali back in the fold, there will be an expectation that Newcastle improve on last season’s efforts. A return to the Champions League? Ideally. European qualification of some description? Probably a minimum requirement. And preferably with a decent cup run along the way.

Eddie Howe watches on from the bench at St James' ParkEddie Howe watches on from the bench at St James' Park (Image: PA)

Is any of that achievable? It should be given that Newcastle finished in the top four in the season before last and have spent to improve that squad since. But unlike some pundits, who seem to blindly assume that the Magpies are going to waltz straight back into the top four now they have a raft of free midweeks, I strongly suspect things are not going to be that easy.

For a start, when it comes to Champions League qualification, Manchester City and Arsenal surely have two of the places already sewn up, and while there could be a drop-off at Liverpool as Arne Slot replaces Jurgen Klopp, it’s hard to imagine Mo Salah et al dropping out of the top four.

True, England could end up with five Champions League spots if their coefficient improves, but if they don’t, Newcastle could find themselves in a shootout with Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Aston Villa for the final place. Blank schedule or no blank schedule, winning that is going to be tough.

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Claiming one of the other two European spots is not going to be much easier, yet Howe finds himself in a position where it is the very least he will be expected to deliver. ‘We’ve given you the authority you wanted after your summer threats – why are we sitting in eighth position?’

It might not be as much of an issue if Howe was presiding over a squad that was clearly strong enough to finish in the top four, but the reality is that he isn’t, and as of yet, Newcastle haven’t sufficiently strengthened it this summer. That could change, with talks over AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw ongoing and a strong determination to spend a significant sum to bring in a right-sided attacker. A new centre-forward could also be on the agenda.

Last month’s unseemly scramble to avoid a PSR points penalty highlighted where Newcastle are at when it comes to the financial divides within the Premier League though, and for all that commercial revenues are rising impressively, that is not going to change markedly any time soon. The Magpies are not in a position where they can compete with a Manchester City or an Arsenal in the market, and on the evidence of this summer so far, they’re struggling to match the spending power of an Aston Villa or West Ham while desperately offloading players to Brighton and Nottingham Forest, such is the continued impact of their overspending in the early windows under the current regime.

That should act as a constraint on expectation, but it’s unlikely to provide a sufficient shield for Howe should things start to go wrong next season. Newcastle’s head coach wants power and control, and has been assured he still has it. In return, he has to deliver improved results otherwise a blurring of boundaries might be the least of his worries.