Newcastle United have struggled in a relative sense this season.
While there have still been great nights for Eddie Howe and his team this year, the level of consistency they showed last season has just not been there this time around.
Howe has admitted that has been frustrating to watch, while Newcastle have also been denied off the pitch.
Indeed, FFP constraints are believed to have annoyed those behind the scenes during the January transfer window, with the club not able to bring any players in.
The notion of FFP proving a problem was actually raised long before the window and ultimately turned out to be the case.
Now, Howe has spoken on the matter.
Newcastle news: Eddie Howe addresses FFP latest
Speaking to reporters ahead of Newcastle’s trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, Howe admitted the club were still years away from building the team “everyone wants us to be.”
“For a start, the infrastructure, the training ground, we are trying to keep up with the speed (of progress) of the team,” he said (via The Athletic).
“Financial fair play is going to limit our speed (of progress) on the pitch, so I think it’s going to take longer than three or four years. It might take longer than that for us to be the team everybody wants us to be.”
Newcastle and FFP: It’s not all bad
Despite PIF’s many millions, Newcastle clearly can’t go out and just spend what they want.
Still, that doesn’t mean it is all bad.
In fact, reports from iNews last month suggested supporters could expect a major overhaul this summer, including some big-name incomings. While Bruno Guimaraes may be sold, the likes of Alexander Isak and Sven Botman will be kept.
FFP is not going away but that does not mean there aren’t good times coming for Newcastle.
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