What Howe, Eales and Mitchell simply must do if 'enigmatic' Newcastle United are to flourish

Once dubbed the Entertainers during Kevin Keegan’s glorious reign, Newcastle United are now the Premier League’s great enigma.

With four games gone in the new Premier League season, it would be a fair assessment to suggest Eddie Howe’s men have failed to hit the levels of intensity and energy that became their hallmark during their march towards a top four finish during the 2022/23 season. They have, at times, looked laboured, ponderous and, despite possessing the unquestionable attacking talents of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes, a tad predictable.

Yet, after their opening quartet of fixtures, the Magpies are level on points with second placed Arsenal, are yet to lose a game, sit above Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United, and could even top the Premier League table on Saturday night if they can claim maximum points from their visit to Fulham.

Newcastle have scored in all four games, kept a clean sheet when playing with ten men for over an hour and have gained four of their ten points from losing positions. Five of their six Premier League goals have come from different goalscorers, with Harvey Barnes’ stunning winner at Wolverhampton Wanderers taking him one goal ahead of team-mates Fabian Schar, Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak and Joelinton.

Progress also came in the Carabao Cup with a penalty shoot-out win at Nottingham Forest in a game when midfielder Joe Willock marked his return from injury with a goal. On the face of it, everything feels positive at St. James’ Park and there should be high hopes that an overwhelming positive and ultimately successful season lies ahead. Perhaps there are high hopes and it could be argued there should be - after all, this positive start to the season has been produced without the likes of key defender Sven Botman, England striker Callum Wilson and, for two of their Premier League games and the cup win at Forest, vastly underrated centre-back Fabian Schar.

Yet there is a nagging feeling not everything has quite fallen into place after an underwhelming end to the summer transfer window left the Magpies short-handed in defence and forward areas and provoked suggestions of an uneasy relationship between Eddie Howe and newly-appointed sporting director Paul Mitchell.

As it stands, with Wilson still working his way back from an injury, Alexander Isak remains the Magpies only natural striker and his injury in Sunday’s win against Wolves saw Anthony Gordon pressed into the lead role in the attack. Although the likes of Dan Burn and Emil Krafth have performed manfully at the heart of the back four in Schar’s absence, the fact Botman and club captain Jamaal Lascelles will not return from injury until December at the earliest means Howe is skating on thin ice when it comes to defensive options until the January transfer window opens for business.

Depending on which media outlet you prefer, the civil war/troubled bromance (delete as applicable) between Howe and Mitchell has caused some waves behind the scenes at St. James Park’ - and it would certainly be no surprise if that was actually the case. Yet there have also been suggestions both men accept they must work together for the good of the club and look to match the ambitious plans that are being put in place by the Magpies owners. Chief executive officer Darren Eales has to become the glue that holds everything together and show the sort of skills that helped him build Atlanta United from the group up to become a genuine MLS powerhouse.

As Howe and his players look for cohesion and consistency on the pitch, the need for both qualities to be present behind the scenes is essential if progress in both areas is to be made. There should be conflict, albeit healthy conflict where debate and questioning is encouraged because that can bring the best out of everything involved and help drive things forward. As I’ve said previously, Howe has done a wonderful job at Newcastle during his near three-year reign and has brought the best out of new signings and coaxed serious improvement out of a whole host of players he inherited from Steve Bruce.

Despite making a somewhat questionable start to his own role and making what felt like some pointed remarks towards Howe and some former Magpies employees, Mitchell is a talented individual and possesses the talents and experience that can help both himself and the club flourish and enable him to move on from a challenging opening to life at St. James’ Park.

Despite their impressive start to the new season, the missteps made during the summer transfer window means Howe and trusted assistant Jason Tindall will have to be at their best on the training pitch and on matchday and probably enjoy some much-needed luck on the injury front to guide their side through to the January transfer window. Then, with what will hopefully be a United front, they will place their trust in Mitchell and hope they can receive the support they were lacking in their preparations for a season that can still offer so much for the enigma of the Premier League.