Charlie Bennett discusses the latest regarding all things Newcastle United.
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00:00Hello everybody, how's it going? Now just as the dust settles on the Premier League season, when everyone's starting to think about the holidays and we're scratching around thinking it's going to be a dry news week, Newcastle United dropped a bombshell announcement earlier this week that Paul Mitchell, after just 10 months, is going to be stepping down as Sporting Director. Now am I surprised by that? Absolutely not. I'm surprised at the timing of it, but the noises throughout the season have been not good to say the least.
00:26I mean, I think this sort of stretches back to that press conference in September when Paul Mitchell sat down with local media, national media, and sort of, we hadn't even ripped into the recruitment strategy at Newcastle and sort of the foundations that he'd walked into when it was a bit of a weird one because he wasn't walking into it.
00:45If he had said that, if he had came in on day one of the takeover, he would have had absolutely every right to say that, but there'd already been a lot of progress made there under Eddie Howe.
00:54The signings that he made, most of them had been good alongside Steve Nixon, a man last day, and Dan Ashworth before him.
01:01Newcastle weren't in a bad way and had just missed out on Europe by the narrowest of margins and would have gotten there if Man United hadn't won the FA Cup final, if you remember.
01:10And it was a case of, Paul Mitchell had to come in and tweak a few things and give Eddie Howe, Steve Nixon, a helping hand and oversee the recruitment.
01:20But all the noises suggest that he didn't do that, he'd sort of come in like a bun in a china shop, trying to tear things down, limb from limb.
01:29And, yeah, I mean, there was reports of a rift that was always played down by Eddie Howe.
01:33You know how he is for the public, you know how he is in press conferences by now.
01:37He's played everything with a straight back, but I think the proof's in the pudding.
01:41I think when you look at, look, Paul Mitchell hasn't left Newcastle the other day because of his recruitment.
01:46He hasn't been able to make any signings. PSR restrictions have meant that.
01:50He hasn't really managed to do any sort of wheeling dealing.
01:53Obviously, he had the outgoings of Miguel Albon and Lloyd Kelly in January.
01:56But in terms of incomings, you cannot really judge the bloke.
01:59What happens next? Well, I don't think it's a case of smashing into the panic button.
02:03Paul Mitchell is going to be in situ until June the 30th.
02:07And you've got to remember, there's that panic situation Newcastle got caught by last year when they had to sell Elliot Arneson in Yancouba Minty.
02:14The PSR deadline, Paul Mitchell is going to be in there, still at Newcastle until June the 30th.
02:20Could it just be that he leaves Newcastle with a part and gift of a top sign and finally have a sign in next year's name at Newcastle United just before he leaves?
02:29But yeah, it's obvious there's going to be some sort of big restructuring at Newcastle.
02:35Like whether they get another sporting director in.
02:37Some noises are suggesting they might not go all in with a full sporting director.
02:41It might be more of a technical director role.
02:44What the difference in that terminology is, I'm not quite sure.
02:47But you've also got Darren Neils.
02:49He's obviously still battling his illness.
02:52He's going to need a successor at CEO.
02:54So it's big times in Newcastle at boardroom level.
02:57But what I would say on the recruitment front,
02:59if you strip it back to that first transfer window,
03:01under the Saudi bank ownership,
03:05you had Steve Nixon, the head of recruitment,
03:07who I really rate, by the way.
03:08I think he's a really top operator.
03:11You had Amanda Stavey, obviously she's gone.
03:13But there is the scouting network underneath Steve Nixon,
03:16with Andy Howe and obviously Eddie Howe himself.
03:19He's got a good eye for a player.
03:20I do think Newcastle will remain in safe hands,
03:23regardless of whether they get a new sporting director, technical director,
03:28whatever you want to brand that in.
03:29Now onto a story that we broke yesterday at Newcastle World,
03:33regarding James Bunce.
03:34Now there was a little bit of confusion over Bunce,
03:37the performance director,
03:38brought in by Paul Mitchell last year,
03:40to alleviate the injury crisis.
03:42Remember that, 1,950 days lost
03:45during the injury during that Champions League campaign.
03:48It really decimated the season.
03:50And Newcastle don't want to repeat the same mistake next year,
03:53obviously being back in the Champions League.
03:55And it's our understanding,
03:56Newcastle are confident that Bunce is going to stay
03:59at the club,
04:01regardless of Mitchell leaving next month.
04:03Now, if you cast your mind back to when he first came in,
04:06there was a little bit of suggestion,
04:07oh, has Bunce been brought in?
04:10There's a wedge between Howe and the board.
04:12But we've asked Howe directly at press conferences.
04:14We've said,
04:15Eddie James Bunce,
04:16what's his role in the camp?
04:17You've been impressed by him,
04:18and he's given a glowing report every single time.
04:20You sometimes see him in the post-match team photo,
04:23or even just on the social media pictures.
04:25He really looks like one of the team.
04:27He looks like he's really bought into Newcastle United.
04:30And again,
04:31on next season,
04:32with them being back in European competition,
04:34this is when he's going to start earning his bread.
04:36And it'll be a big boost for Newcastle United,
04:38having him remaining in the first team setup.
04:41Now, just to wrap up on transfers,
04:43if you cast your mind back to that post-match interview
04:45after Everton,
04:46I thought it was really interesting.
04:48Most of you might have been enjoying a post-match,
04:50playing, celebrating the Champions League.
04:52But I thought that was for the first time,
04:54Eddie Howe,
04:55in three and a half years as Newcastle manager,
04:57really sort of used the media.
04:59It was almost like Rafa Benitez-esque.
05:02It was like he wanted to get a message out there
05:04that he wanted the business done quickly this summer.
05:07Obviously,
05:07Niamh dropped Yasser El-Ramai
05:08and said that he was going to have a meeting
05:10with the chairman after the game.
05:13And I think you sort of got the vibe
05:16that he doesn't want to repeat the last summer.
05:18Newcastle dragged the heels a bit,
05:19got led along the garden path a little bit
05:22with the marquee he saw in Eddie Howe
05:24and how he's going to want his players in
05:25for pre-season prepared,
05:28full pre-season under the belt,
05:29ready to go for that Premier League
05:31and Champions League campaign.
05:32If you throw your minds back at two years ago,
05:35Sandro Tonali was pretty much early doors, really.
05:38He had a full pre-season under his belt
05:40and it really does help a player.
05:42If a player can come in,
05:42especially a big money signing,
05:44get him embedded.
05:45And we've seen it before,
05:46even when players have came in mid-season,
05:48Anthony Gordon, Bruno Gamora,
05:50sometimes it's taken them a little bit time
05:52for Eddie Howe to gel them into the team,
05:55into his coaching methods, etc., etc.
05:57And that's ideal.
05:58If Newcastle can get the business in early,
06:01I think that will give them a head start
06:03going into the new season.
06:05And judging by what Eddie Howe was saying last week,
06:08that's exactly what he wants as well.
06:09That's it for me, everybody.
06:11Now, when that's a little bit miserable out there,
06:12just looking out the window,
06:14but better days are coming.
06:15It's meant to be a lovely,
06:16lovely day on Saturday.
06:17It's going to be a belter.
06:19You haven't got Newcastle in there
06:20to keep you entertained,
06:21but put your feet back.
06:23It's been a long, hard, grueling season
06:24and toast that sweet taste of success.
06:28We're going to keep you there
06:29every step of the way,
06:30covering your all bases
06:31with Newcastle United at Newcastle World.
06:34Feel free to stay tuned
06:36across all social media platforms
06:37at the newcastleworld.com.
06:40I'll catch you later.