What Newcastle’s board have tasked Eddie Howe with doing this season amid Jose Mourinho links

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Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe is celebrating three years as the boss at St James’ Park, but year four of his project looks to be a crucial season, not least because one of football’s biggest names is said to be eyeing his job.

Howe’s appointment was one of PIF’s first big decisions following their 2021 takeover and the former Bournemouth boss has enjoyed a productive period with the club so far, initially leading them away from the relegation zone before qualifying or the Champions League a the end of the 2022/23 campaign and reaching the Carabao Cup final that season.

As TBR Football insider Graeme Bailey told Geordie Boot Boys this week, a return to European football would likely be the minimum requirement for Newcastle’s ambitious ownership group this season, meaning Howe has a clear goal to achieve if he is remain in his position in the long-term.

But the prospect of a job opening at St James’ Park appears to be something that appeals to Jose Mourinho.

Jose Mourinho ‘wants Newcastle job’

According to the Guardian, Mourinho, who is currently at Fenerbahce, believes he has ‘unfinished business’ in the Premier League and is targeting the Newcastle job, should Howe leave the club.

The Portuguese has already had four Premier League stints – two at Chelsea, plus tenures at Manchester United and Tottenham, but has already grumbled about life in Turkey, expressing his unhappiness at his current situation following Fener’s 3-2 win over Trabzonspor last weekend when he ranted about refereeing decisions and Turkish football as a whole.

“Nobody abroad wants to watch the Turkish league,” he told the media. “Who wants to watch this Turkish league abroad? They have the Premier League, they have the French league, they have the German league, they have the Portuguese league, they have the Dutch league. Why should they see this? … It’s too grey, it’s too dark, smells bad. But that’s my job, and I will give everything to my job, to my club.”

The report adds that he has ‘reached out’ to intermediaries in order to be kept abreast of any developments regarding the job at Newcastle.

• READ MORE: All of Eddie Howe’s 19 Newcastle United signings ranked after three years in charge

Eddie Howe’s situation at Newcastle

The Newcastle United hierarchy are happy with Howe and his side’s back-to-back wins over Chelsea and Arsenal have given the club fresh momentum after a slow start to the campaign.

The race for the European spots looks to be a tight one this season, with just four points separating Nottingham Forest in third to 11th-place Newcastle United after ten games.

Earlier this season Howe reflected on a tough summer transfer window during which PSR concerns had to be managed, with the enforced sale of Eliot Anderson a bitter pill to swallow.

“That impacts the ability to progress the club as quickly as maybe they wanted to,” Howe admitted in August. “I don’t think the dream dies necessarily, it just takes longer. We have got to build our revenue streams, bring more money into the club. This is the biggest thing we need to focus on in the next 10 years.”

Eddie Howe on what next after third anniversary

Howe also talked about what needs to happen next when he was asked to reflect on his three years in charge so far ahead of Sunday’s trip to face Forest.

“We are looking at improvements this year,” he said. “Consistency is a big, big word for us. Not the most interesting response, I know, but these are the things that we judge ourselves by.

“I think, if we can find that ability to win games and put a sequence of results together, the Premier League is so tight, it can really change the feeling.”

Mourinho’s Premier League record

Mourinho’s explosive introduction to the Premier League came in 2004 when he declared himself ‘the Special One’ after being hired by Chelsea following his Champions League win with Porto.

Backed by Roman Abramovich’s billions, Mourinho won consecutive Premier League titles with the Blues, plus an FA Cup and two League Cups before he was sacked in September 2007.

He returned to Stamford Bridge in 2013 adding another Premier League title and League Cup, while his two-and-a-half-year spell at Manchester United saw him win the League Cup and Europa League. He also spent 18 months at Spurs, but failed to add any silverware in north London.