Chris Waugh shares what he's heard the board feel are realistic expectations at Newcastle United this season
The expectations of a club's board and its fans aren't always going to be aligned, but if what The Athletic's Chris Waugh has said about Newcastle United's expectations this season, we can't really argue.
As part of his Q&A for The Athletic, Chris Waugh was asked what the board's expectations are for this season at Newcastle United.
Waugh stated that there has been no official communication of those expectations outside of the walls of St James' Park, but some informal chats have clued him into what he feels is expected from Eddie Howe and his team this season.
Following another summer of upheaval, intense scrutiny and a power vacuum, it would be unfair to suggest Newcastle should be challenging for the title this season; however, there are still some lofty ambitions for Eddie Howe to aim for.
Newcastle have been set realistic expectations for this season
Newcastle has had a change in CEO and Sporting Director with David Hopkinson and Ross Wilson arriving after the season got underway, so boardroom objectives won't have been set before then anyway.
The expectation, according to Waugh's sources, is that Newcastle once again qualify for Europe - the competition is not specified - and progressing beyond the league phase of the Champions League is also expected.
Newcastle have some tricky fixtures in the Champions League, but there are some winnable games in there which could see them progress.
Lifting another trophy would be a nice bonus
There was no mention of lifting another trophy, but of course, that would be very welcome, and indeed would satisfy the European qualification remit.
At a certain point, there will be no excuses and Newcastle will have to kick on and mount a title challenge, but we need some stability off the pitch before we can realistically pursue those goals.
Alexander Isak's childish behaviour aside, things on the field and close to Eddie Howe have been on track for years, but it's been at the boardroom level where there has been no consistency, and that, along with restrictive rules like Profit and Sustainability and Associate Party Transaction rules, has kept Newcastle at arm's length from truly competing.
