'They understand now': Eddie Howe has now spoken of the club's long-term ambitions three years into new ownership

It has been over three years since the PIF, Reuben Brothers and Amanda Staveley took over things at Newcastle United and it has been quite the ride.

Newcastle fans were dreaming of buying our way to success with world-class players turning out every week at St James' Park, but as quickly as those dreams materialised they were dashed by reality.

The Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) reared their ugly little head and along with an immediate clampdown on any loopholes allowing wealthy owners to put in their own money to fund growth, Newcastle were suddenly left as being the club with the richest owners and also being too skint to compete.

After Amanda Staveley had boldly claimed that Newcastle were going to win everything, she did say so with the caveat that it would take time. However, it seems the board may now have had to come to accept that it may be a longer-term plan than they first envisioned.

Newcastle still retain the lofty goals spoken about by Amanda Staveley

Amanda Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi, who were the public face of the takeover and had become extremely popular with fans, left the club in the summer - whether they left or were pushed is still up for debate - but there's no doubt that Eddie Howe is likely the man who felt it the hardest as the three of them had developed a close relationship.

Now, Eddie Howe has been left to defend Staveley's comments about winning the lot. Howe confirmed to Simon Jordan on his Up Front podcast, that that those ambitions absolutely still remain, but there's an acceptance that it may take longer than first hoped.

“That absolutely is the vision (to win the Premier League and Champions League). That has been made clear, not just from Amanda, but from several other people at boardroom level. There are big, long-term ambitions.

“But I think they understand now, with the rules in place, that this is a long-term vision, not a short-term vision. Obviously, that increases the pressure on me.

“Whenever those comments are made, there’s a part of me that goes ‘Oof’ to a degree. But that’s Amanda. She is so passionate and (was) good for the football club, I can’t tell you (enough).

“She was so caring for the people at the club, you almost go ‘Well, that's Amanda’. There was no part of me that thought she shouldn’t have said that. That’s part of the job you’re in.”

Pressure is piling on the Premier League's PSR rules thanks to battles with Man City

PSR and all of the other regulations put in place to protect the fence around the 'Big Six' have been questioned by many close to the game and outside of it, but now the Premier League are starting to lose control of things with Manchester City beginning to fight back.

Newcastle will likely take a knee and watch everything play out rather than get heavily involved, but there's no doubt that the more pressure is put on the Premier League around these financial restrictions, the better it can get for Newcastle.

It may take a few more years to get to where we want to be, and there's no doubt that it's going to be rough as we'll have to sell big players to fund growth, which absolutely seems counter-productive, but essential in a long-term strategy.