Eddie Howe is losing two of his biggest supporters behind the scenes at Newcastle United in Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi.
News broke on Wednesday that Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi will be leaving the club, with the couple set to sell their Newcastle United shares to either PIF or the Reuben brothers.
Newcastle fans have paid tribute to Staveley and Ghodoussi for the work they have done, having been the ones who made the 2021 takeover become a reality. They were the ones that first tried to buy the club from Mike Ashley, then they were the ones that brought PIF to the table.
The impact they have had at St James’ Park has been seismic, and they will be sorely missed. However, the departure is not a complete shock, as it was reported in 2021 that Staveley would only be in charge at Newcastle short-term.
PIF want Newcastle United to be number one
Staveley and Ghodoussi’s work at Newcastle United is done, as they prepare to move on. The Magpies will also be moving on, as two highly influential figures leave St James’ Park.
The club is moving into the next phase of the PIF project, with chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan eager for Newcastle United to become top of the footballing pyramid.
That has always been the ambition of the main shareholders at Newcastle, as PIF are not ones to settle for second best. They want to be number one in everything they do, and that includes their ownership of the Magpies.
But where does this leave Eddie Howe? He is the Newcastle United manager, and he has always had the backing of Al-Rumayyan. The PIF chief offered his support to Howe last season, at a time when Newcastle were struggling.
But Staveley and Ghodoussi were Howe’s biggest advocates, and their departures could change the dynamic behind the scenes at St James’ Park.
What this means for Eddie Howe at Newcastle United
According to the Athletic, Howe is now likely to seek assurances over what Newcastle’s plan is following Staveley and Ghodoussi’s exits.
They add that he may also ask for clarification over how he fits into the club’s vision, as well as whether his amount of control could change in areas such as recruitment.
With regards to the latter, it feels likely that Howe will have less control. Newcastle have appointed a new sporting director, and it was reported that recruitment control was a key factor in getting Paul Mitchell to join.
The Athletic also state that Howe may suddenly be under a bit more pressure to do well on Tyneside, due to the fact that he no longer has the protection of Staveley and Ghodoussi.
Howe can continue to thrive despite Newcastle change
With or without Staveley, the pressure was always going to keep rising for Howe. This project is all about constant improvement – mediocrity is not going to cut it.
That is not to say that Howe is providing mediocre results – far from it. He has been the driving force behind Newcastle’s improvement under PIF, and he has the ability to continue doing that.
While Staveley and Ghodoussi’s departure does change things for Howe, he can still be the man to deliver what PIF want at St James’ Park. He is the best manager we have had in a long, long time, and will continue thriving at Newcastle United.
There will be renewed pressure, but that should not faze Howe.
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