'That's how football should work': Eddie Howe takes a strong stance against FFP

Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe has sat down with Gary Neville for an interview on The Overlap shortly after Anthony Gordon did the same.

Gary Neville made the most of his time in the North East after interviewing Anthony Gordon, he also say down with Eddie Howe to get an insight into the mind of the Newcastle gaffer.

In typical Eddie Howe fashion, he was very reserved and methodical in his answers, but there were moments where we got to see a peek behind the curtain and see the real Eddie Howe come out.

One part of the interview that was particularly interesting was when Gary Neville asked Howe's thoughts on Financial Fair Play, with Newcastle being hamstrung by the Profit and Sustainability Rules in terms of spending.

Eddie Howe doesn't believe FFP should be a thing

Newcastle's owners have the wealth to pump millions into the club for transfers without even thinking about it, but FFP/PSR won't allow them to do it. It's something that Gary Neville has been opposed to since it came in, saying that owners should be allowed to spend what they can afford to without restriction, as long as the funds are there and won't endanger the club.

We were expecting Howe to be more diplomatic with his response given that he is bound by those restrictions, but Howe put his thoughts out there without holding back.

"I've come from a club like Bournemouth that had to invest to grow, so I'm of the same train of thought as you. I think if the owner's got the money and wants to invest in a safe way and put the money into the club, then why can't he spend that money? I think that's how football should work. We don't want to see football clubs get into any kind of financial problems long term, but as long as that money's ringfenced I think they should be able to use it."

The 'Big Six' isn't even the Big Six any more in terms of football

The key is right there isn't it? If the money is ringfenced then there's no issue. If every club stated up front what their budget will be, they put that money aside and it's all checked and verified that it won't affect the running of the club if that budget is wiped out, then where's the harm?

There will be those who will say it's anti-competitive as some clubs will be able to spend much more than others, but in what way is that any different to now?

The only real difference between that system and the current and indeed future rules, is that it's the same clubs who benefit year in year out now, whereas removing FFP allows clubs like Newcastle who can use their owners money, which far exceeds that of the club, to be able to catch up to those at the top who are using their influence and power to keep that gate around their current status as the 'big six'.

It's even more galling as the 'big six' are only that in terms of financial power these days. Chelsea haven't been anywhere near the top six for two years, Tottenham are just pretenders, Manchester United are a joke and even last season Liverpool fell off. They may have all the money, but they have no right to dictate to the league as other teams are beating down that door now with Newcastle and Aston Villa asking big questions.