Eddie Howe dusts off the Alan Pardew book of quotes when asked about imminent return of Dan Burn from injury
Eddie Howe has had to get creative with this team selection of late, moving young midfielder Lewis Miley to right back to cover for gaps in the Newcastle United defence after a wave of injuries decimated his options.
It has raised the question of whether Newcastle will be heading into the transfer market this month to add bodies and give Howe more options at the back.
Howe has never really given a definitive answer on that subject, but the longer the month has gone on, the more it feels like the club is leaning towards spending money.
Today, it has been reported that Dan Burn is back in training following his punctured lung and broken rib, which has raised the question of whether his return nullifies the need for new blood.
Eddie Howe says Dan Burn will feel like a new signing
Dan Burn is only just back in training and won't be available tomorrow night for the visit of PSV, but Eddie Howe was asked in today's press conference whether Burn and Will Osula's return means the club will keep their money in their pocket until the summer.
Once again, Howe's answer wasn't definitive, but it felt very familiar to those of us who suffered through the penny-pinching times of Mike Ashley under Alan Pardew.
"I don't know but they will feel like new signings, certainly with Dan with the need in that position there. That is a huge lift. If we keep him fit and feeling good he will be like a new signing but there is still time."
We don't want Newcastle to spend money just for the sake of it, but can we show some intent?
Pardew would always deliver the 'will feel like a new signing' line in every transfer window when a player was returning from injury, and for so long that was the closest we got to new signings.
Things should be much different now, but PSR is doing a bang-up job of keeping us in that semi-Mike Ashley state.
We don't want the club to go out and spend money for the sake of it. We've already made some huge mistakes in the market this season, but it doesn't even feel like we're looking to improve right now.
