'On track': How PIF really feel about Newcastle United after three years of ownership

Newcastle United passed the three-year takeover anniversary with very little fanfare as the mood around the club remains a little bit off after a difficult year.

The injury crisis at Newcastle last season which directly affected the team's progress on the pitch, followed by a very weak summer transfer window are just two factors that have fostered a strange atmosphere around the club.

There have been many changes as board level with Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi leaving the club, Paul Mitchell coming in and seemingly unsettling Eddie Howe who was being heavily linked with the England job at the time, and now the imminent departure of CEO Darren Eales. There has been a lot going on.

This has led some people to question whether the PIF's commitment to the club still remains three years on amid talks that they are were looking at buying Liverpool, which would only happen if they sold off Newcastle first.

ESPN

Club insiders are pushing a narrative of contentment

Fortunately, as per The Chronicle, the noises coming from inside the club are positive with regard to the PIF and it's believed that they are far from hitting the panic button.

"The mood at the top is that the owners see Newcastle as "on track" to achieve what they set out at the beginning of their tenure."

That's slightly reassuring, but seeing Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan sporting a Newcastle United training shirt at the recent Alfred Dunhill Links Championship golf event.

PIF's commitment has remains as strong now as it was three years ago

A club insider even told The Chronicle that the PIF remain committed to bringing trophies to the club but they want to make sure they do it right and in a sustainable way.

"There is a big picture. It's on track, the ambition was set three years ago to make the club competitive again at the highest level and that hasn't changed.

"There has been a lot done on and off the pitch in the last three years. They want sustainable success and they don't want to be a flash in the pan. The tone from the top is exactly the same as three years ago."

Obviously, it would add a bit more credence if we knew who this insider was and how far up the chain they were, but it's the best we've got for now so we'll take it.