Eddie Howe is tightening his grip on Newcastle ...Middle East

Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe has emerged from a summer of change at St James’ Park with his position undoubtedly strengthened.

A year on from a mishandled attempt to construct a new football executive by appointing Paul Mitchell as director of football, a PIF-driven reset has begun that will build around Howe rather than creating the sort of tension that briefly threatened to spark a civil war in the corridors of power.

Instead the new senior figures coming in are much more conciliatory to a manager whose stock is sky high with Newcastle’s ownership group after the best season in their modern history.

That has to be cause for celebration as the Magpies turn the page on a fractious summer that ended with the British record sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool.

New chief executive David Hopkinson was first through the door earlier this month, described as a “brilliant appointment” by Howe on Friday.

The pair have spoken at length since he was confirmed as Darren Eales’ successor a fortnight ago, with Howe struck by the “positivity” of the new arrival, who has been handed the remit of guiding Newcastle into a new era that will be defined by major infrastructure investments in the training ground and stadium.

The next major hire – likely to be before the end of September – will be Ross Wilson, who will vacate his role as chief football officer at Nottingham Forest to become Newcastle’s third sporting director in three years.

Wilson is a very different character to the abrasive and outspoken Mitchell, who rolled into the club with big ideas and a big reputation but who butted heads with Howe almost from the outset.

Where Mitchell – handed almost total control over recruitment, even if Howe got final sign-off on deals – seemed to favour revolution, Wilson is likely to err towards evolution.

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While his appointment is not yet finalised, Wilson’s arrival should usher in a period of stability at Newcastle after a year of executive upheaval.

Expect Andy Howe, the de facto director of football this summer, to retain some of his influence after impressing during the summer while Sudarshan Gopaladesikan, the club’s new technical director, gets his feet under the table.

In a sign of what is to come, Newcastle are looking to appoint their first “principal scientist” – a key role in their transition to a cutting edge, data-led club who will use statistics to influence tactics and player recruitment.

None of this will cut across Howe this time. Having been sidelined from big decisions last summer – including the failed pursuit of Marc Guehi, which continued despite his warnings that dealing with Crystal Palace would be difficult – Howe’s influence over recruitment will not diminish.

It makes sense. Newcastle undoubtedly need to learn from the lessons of a brutal summer and pivot their transfer policy but when you have a manager with Howe’s rare talents, it makes sense to lean into his expertise.

Perhaps unfairly, some have suggested the turnover of sporting directors at St James’ Park is a result of Howe being reluctant to share control of football matters.

He bristled at that talk on Friday and it was noticeable that he omitted Mitchell’s name from a list of executives that he had “a good relationship with” when rebutting the accusation.

It is perhaps personalities rather than the position that have been the problem previously.

“I don’t know where that has come from [the idea that he doesn’t like working with a sporting director],” he said.

“I’m desperate for a sporting director. The way the modern football club works, I think you need that person with the expertise, the person who’s going to lead the club in all sorts of different ways.

“That might be the academy, transfers, it’s a never-ending network now that the sporting director has to navigate his way through. So it’s an absolutely pivotal position.

“I had a very good relationship with Dan Ashworth and a very good relationship with Richard Hughes at Bournemouth for many years.

“We need the position filled, but ideally with the right man, the man who can lead the club forward in many different ways to a very successful era. I’m fully supportive of the position.”

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On the pitch, Newcastle face a hectic period of seven games in 22 days which offer them a chance to hit the reset button on a campaign that has begun without a Premier League win from the first three matches.

But they will have to do it without £55m new arrival Yoane Wissa, who faces a prolonged period on the sidelines after suffering a knee injury on international duty, and Jacob Ramsey, who is out until the November international break.

Club record signing Nick Woltemade is set for a debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers as life after Isak begins in earnest.

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