Eddie Howe has emphatically declared his commitment to Newcastle after comments from the club’s chief executive cast doubt on the manager’s future.
Newcastle go into Sunday’s trip to Crystal Palace – who are live on Sky Sports – shaken by nightmare defeats to Barcelona and arch-rivals Sunderland that came before the international break.
But after David Hopkinson told the media: “I don’t have a position on [Howe’s] future” and “we’ll talk about the future when it’s time”, Howe has insisted he is as dedicated to Newcastle as ever.
“For me, nothing has changed. I’m absolutely, 100 percent committed to the job,” Howe said.
“That commitment has never wavered on my part. I’ve been working during the break to make sure we come back a stronger team.
“In this day and age, it’s hard to look too far in the long term. I can only look to these seven [remaining Premier League] game and make sure we perform at our very best.”
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Asked if he had sought reassurance about his future, Howe gave a blunt reply: “I don’t need reassurance from anybody. I have to do my job and make the team successful.”
On his relationship with Hopkinson and sporting director Ross Wilson, Howe added: “There have certainly been no disagreements. I have a really good relationship with Ross and David. We plan to try and take the club forward in the smartest way possible.
“I have had really good support from both of them, who are the key figures I work with on a daily basis at the football club. We are all completely aligned with what we have to do.”
He later said: “Of course we have spoken, but not about these comments.”
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Howe was also asked what he needs to stay happy and confident in his role. “What do I need? I just need support, good working relationships with people around me, a feeling of being able to express myself in the best possible way, so that you see the best version of myself. And I think that if I feel that and the club feels that, then they will get the best manager they can from me.”
“Obviously if it doesn’t work for whatever reason on either side, then it’s best for the football club… the most important thing in all of this is Newcastle United, not me, not anyone else. I’ll always reflect that in my decision-making. I’ll put the club before anybody.”
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Hopkinson also addressed the possibility of selling star names this summer – something that could become a requirement if the team cannot qualify for Europe through the Premier League.
Howe says if key players leave then the club will have to manage expectations.
“If that’s the reality – and I’m not saying it is – then that’s the reality. I have no problem working with the conditions the club sets and the finances dictate. I’ve never had a problem with that my whole career,” he said.
“As long as it’s made clear to everyone from the outside and the expectations are aligned within that. Because I don’t think you can have expectations that distort reality. Everything has to be aligned so that the players can come onto the pitch and play in their best place, where they’re relaxed and not under undue pressure. That’s fundamentally important.”
Howe believes the overall outlook for Newcastle remains positive but says they will need to be “clever” in the next transfer window to improve.
“The long-term outlook for the football club is really strong, but certainly these seasons we’ve experienced in the past… not all forces are with us and we’re going to have to act really smart and try to go over budget etc. to try to reach the levels that everyone wants,” he said.