The failing probationary relationship that could lead to a huge Newcastle exit

Newcastle United's failure to acquire any new first-team signings that genuinely improved the quality of the starting XI is causing many fans to question the new ownership in ways it hadn't before.

For probably the first time since the PIF-backed takeover in 2021, fans are starting to really question the club's ambition and the new owners' agenda.

Eddie Howe and Amanda Staveley created a fantastic atmosphere around the club post-takeover with Howe guiding the Magpies to Premier League safety in his first six months followed by a top four finish the very next season.

Those achievements bought Howe a wealth of goodwill, and last season's massive injury troubles provided the perfect excuse for a drop-off in form, but now it's down to business and Eddie Howe has to deliver for the sake of his Newcastle future as it has become clear that the PIF can be ruthless.

Screenshot via Caught Offside

Eddie Howe essentially placed Paul Mitchell on probation

In a deep dive into the summer by Craig Hope via The Daily Mail, it was suggested that Darren Eales was the architect behind Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi leaving the club after complaining to the PIF that he couldn't do his job with them looking over his shoulder.

Whatever the truth, Staveley and Ghodoussi left the club this summer and with that, Howe lost his biggest allies. In came Paul Mitchell as sporting director and immediately you could tell that all was not well with Howe.

His interview while on a pre-season training camp at the Adidas HQ in Germany was pretty damning with the gaffer, who was heavily linked with the England job at the time (and still is), essentially putting a clock on his future, suggesting that if things don't work how he wants with Mitchell then he could walk.

"I absolutely want to stay but it has to be right for me and the club,’ he said. ‘There’s no point in me saying I’m happy staying at Newcastle if the dynamic isn’t right. As a new team coming together, we have to set our boundaries."

Eddie Howe is not blameless

What Howe did was place Mitchell on probation, although the twist is that it was Howe who would lose (walk away from) his job if the probationary period was not successful.

After failing to deliver Howe any new players who improve the side, you have to wonder what the gaffer is thinking.

Equally, you have to wonder what Mitchell is thinking too, as Howe is not blameless in this mess. By all accounts, Howe shot down every alternative target and insisted that Mitchell deliver Marc Guehi - something that was never going to happen as Steve Parish had no intention of selling, a form of payback for unsettling his director of football, Dougie Freedman earlier in the summer.

Can Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell work together?

Clearly the dynamic isn't right and talks need to be held between Howe and Mitchell to iron out how the two can work together.

We have to give the benefit of the doubt in that Mitchell came in midway through the transfer window and had to get to work straight away trying to source players. It won't have given him any time to work out with Howe, how to work together, so now that the window is closed, the two need to get together and iron everything out.

It's either that or Eddie Howe is on the blower to The FA this morning to put his name forward for the England job.