A bad week for Newcastle United ended in good fashion.
Eddie Howe’s side will take their unbeaten record this season into the international break at the very least after Newcastle found a way past Tottenham at St James’ Park on Sunday.
Failure to win after the closing of a transfer window so underwhelming it was publicly slammed by club legend Alan Shearer and the mood music really would have been miserable.
While three points will surely not quell some of the discontent about a window in which Newcastle failed to significantly strengthen their squad, it does at least underline the fact that Howe has a team who can be competitive.
Interestingly, PIF representatives were at the game against Spurs, including club chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan.
Luke Edwards has shared exactly why.
Why Yasir Al-Rumayyan was at St James’ Park for Newcastle vs Tottenham
Taking to social media platform X, Edwards revealed that the visit was a pre-planned one and not a reaction to the fallout of the poor summer window.
What PIF are saying about their plans for Newcastle now
Interestingly, there were claims from Edwards that PIF sources were stressing they remained as ambitious as ever despite a slow summer window.
Clearly, it’s all well and good saying that and only action from here will lift the mood. Still, it is worth noting that spending across the Premier League was down this summer, so Newcastle were far from alone in having a quieter window.
PIF have shown little reason to doubt them since the takeover. They have reportedly been frustrated about some of the rules limiting their spending power but it does not mean they have lost interest by any means, it seems.
It was an awful transfer window but, hopefully, the more measured approach can see Newcastle invest more in the long run.
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