This is new stark reality – Paul Mitchell and Eddie Howe fighting with one arm tied behind back | OneFootball

It isn’t a fair fight where Paul Mitchell and Eddie Howe are concerned.

By the way, I am not talking about the ridiculously exaggerated/invented friction between the then newly appointed Newcastle United Sporting Director and the NUFC Head Coach!

What I am talking about, is the fight where both Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell are very much on the same side.

The one where they are in the fight with one arm tied behind their back, or is that both arms?

Newcastle United trying to compete with the usual suspects, when the odds, the finances, the ‘rules’, are so stacked against them.

Consider this.

A week before this 2025 January transfer window ended, Eddie Howe confirmed that Abdukhodir Khusanov had been lined up to sign for Newcastle United. However, the PSR situation meant Newcastle would have to wait to do the deal.

Which then allowed Manchester City to take advantage. The reigning champions stepping in to sign Abdukhodir Khusanov for around £34m, plus future potential add-ons. The player’s agent Gairat Khasbiullin had already stated ahead of that Eddie Howe press conference, that the player had been all lined up to sign for Newcastle United.

The highly regarded 20 year old a player that both Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell were keen to bring in.

Luke Edwards of The Telegraph reporting from that Eddie Howe press conference on Friday 24 January 2025:

“Eddie Howe confirmed this morning that Newcastle had done all the preparation to sign Abdukhodir Khusanov this month but were simply unable to move because of PSR situation.

“Man City swooped in and got him instead.

“Newcastle would have liked to sign him in the summer. Paul Mitchell a big fan of the centre back.

“Unless there is a late twist, Newcastle will not be signing anyone this month.”

Fast forward three weeks.

Omar Marmoush has of course got all the headlines after Saturday at the Etihad BUT at the other end of the pitch, Abdukhodir Khusanov was also excellent, as Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon were totally anonymous. Yes, Newcastle United still could and should have done better BUT at the same time, you have to acknowledge what they were up against.

Manchester City wanting a ‘little’ extra help, so in January 2025 they went out and spent some £185m on new players, this is the second highest amount that has ever been spent by any club in the world in a mid-season transfer window, no surprises that Chelsea are the club still holding the very highest record.

£70m Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt

£34m (plus future add-ons) Abdukhodir Khusanov from Lens

£50m Nico Gonzalez from Porto

£31m Vitor Reis from Palmeiras

Marmoush having a sensational season in Germany, just over halfway through the season and already an incredible 31 direct goal involvements for his club, scoring 20 and 11 assists. Brought in for £70m to Man City, an amount that would be a club record for Newcastle United. Not exactly a massive surprise that the Egyptian attacking player had an impact on Saturday’s match.

Nico Gonzalez (£50m) having a great game in midfield and (£34m) Abdukhodir Khusanov the same in defence.

That is £154m worth of talent that Pep Guardiola was able to add in January and who were key to Saturday’s win, he didn’t even have to bother putting (£31m) defender Vitor Reis on the pitch.

Would things have been different if say Eddie Howe had these £185m new signings available instead of Pep Guardiola? Well, it certainly wouldn’t have done any harm!

Contrast that with what Eddie Howe (and Paul Mitchell as well now) are having to deal with.

Doing deals in January to generate an eventual £31m that will hopefully help bring in some much needed new signings in the summer BUT which left the NUFC squad even weaker in terms of numbers, no new first team signings at all for Eddie Howe last month.

Look at the 16 players who got on the pitch yesterday, eight of the sixteen are players Eddie Howe inherited back in 2021!

Newcastle United were looking nailed on for relegation until Steve Bruce and Mike Ashley were removed, replaced by Eddie Howe and new owners.

Eddie Howe an absolute miracle worker.

Of course money had been spent on new signings since the takeover BUT still far less than all of the ‘big six‘ usual suspects in these last four seasons. When you consider the ginormous advantage those six clubs already had, due to them doing everything they could to make themselves stronger for a decade and a half, whilst Mike Ashley did the opposite. It is then surely beyond belief what Eddie Howe has managed to do on the pitch, with everything stacked against him.

It isn’t just those six either, as Villa and West Ham have spent more on signings these past four seasons compared to Newcastle United, Forest spending more than NUFC in recent seasons and so on.

Newcastle United fans should be knocked off their feet when things like winning three in a row in one season against Arsenal (without conceding a single goal) happens, whereas losing away from home against Man City, no matter how tough it is to take you should be able to still roll with these type of punches, stay on your feet and come back for more.

If Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell, if Newcastle United, could spend on transfer fees and wages anything like the same as the usual suspects, just what would Howe be capable of?

Manchester City 4 Newcastle 0 – Saturday 15 February 2025 3pm

Man City:

Marmoush 19, 24, 33 McAtee 84

Possession was Newcastle 39% Man City 61%

Total shots were Newcastle 3 Man City 11

Shots on target were Newcastle 1 Man City 7

Corners were Newcastle 4 Man City 7

Touches in the box Newcastle 10 Man City 24

Newcastle team v Man City:

Dubravka, Trippier (Livramento 46), Schar, Burn, Hall, Bruno (Longstaff 72), Tonali, Willock (Miley 46), Gordon (Wilson 73), Isak (Krafth 90), Murphy

Subs:

Pope, Barnes, Targett, Osula

(If that’s the way you feel just hand in your Carabao Cup final tickets here – Read HERE)

(Manchester City 4 Newcastle 0 – Match ratings and comments on all Newcastle United players – Read HERE)

(Manchester City 4 Newcastle 0 – Instant Newcastle United fan/writer reaction – Read HERE)

Sunday 23 February – Newcastle v Forest (2pm) Sky Sports

Wednesday 26 February – Liverpool v Newcastle (8.15pm) TNT Sports

Sunday 1 March –  Newcastle v Brighton (1.45pm) FA Cup fifth round – ITV1