INSIDE NEWCASTLE: Why England are leaning away from approaching Eddie Howe, cause for concern over Bruno Guimaraes… and teenage star joins the club

Newcastle and Eddie Howe have NOT yet been approached by the Football Association, as they sound out external candidates for the role of England manager.

Conversations have taken place with some contenders beyond interim Lee Carsley. 

My Mail Sport colleague Sami Mokbel reported on Wednesday that Howe is among the leading candidates, with Graham Potter, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel also mentioned.

However, as of now, no representation has been made to Howe and the club. There is a feeling among some that the FA speaking to others beyond Carsley is more so them following a recruitment process, and that the current incumbent will get the job on a permanent basis.

Newcastle sporting director Paul Mitchell did not close the door on an FA approach last week when he was asked if the club would reject any advances.

‘We want Eddie Howe as our head coach for as long as we can,’ he said. ‘But we also recognise we are on a journey, and we also recognise his quality and his potential as well.

‘I’ve never been a guy scared of interest in any of our staff members, especially our head coach, and especially from a level of organisation that the FA is. 

‘The way I look at interest is that it’s proof that someone’s doing a really great job. It’s a recognition of the two-and-a-half years he’s had here and the job he did at Bournemouth. It’s a fair recognition.’

It may be that an approach is not made for Howe, especially as it is easier to have a conversation with an out-of-work manager. 

For now, the expectation is that Carsley will be confirmed as the new head coach before the end of the year.

BAGS OF EFFORT

On the subject of England, I was concerned to see Anthony Gordon walking gingerly away from the dressing-room inside Wembley on Tuesday night.

He had been withdrawn after 66 minutes of the 2-0 win over Finland, following another fine performance on the left wing.

‘You’re not injured, are you?’ I enquired.

‘No, this bag is just too heavy for me!’ he replied.

No need to worry, Gordon will be back to do the heavy lifting down Newcastle’s left this weekend at Molineux.

BRU-NO…

What should perhaps be more of a concern is the form of Bruno Guimaraes at international level.

My ears pricked this week when listening to South American football expert Tim Vickery talk on radio about Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Paraguay, in which the Newcastle midfielder was withdrawn at half-time.

Vickery said that Guimaraes is having a ‘mare’ with the national team right now and is the focus for a lot of criticism in his home country.

Compare that to Sandro Tonali, who has been lauded in the Italian press for his performances in the wins over France and Israel, his first appearances since his 10-month gambling ban. Tonali even arranged an overnight flight to get back to Tyneside as quickly as possible after playing against Israel in Budapest on Monday.

SCOUTING FOCUS

Newcastle’s youth scouts are redoubling their efforts in signing players for the Under-15s and 16s, and that has continued with the arrival of teenager Jayden Kouossu.

The 15-year-old is joining from West Bromwich Albion after eight years in their academy. A highly-rated central midfielder, the Milan-born Englishman has also spent time on trial at Chelsea recently.

And this is the age bracket – domestically at youth level, at least – that the club are increasingly looking to target. Inside Newcastle knows of several older teenagers who have been offered to the club – talented players, too – but the message back is that paying a fee for those aged 18 and over is not the priority.

Instead, identifying younger players – for whom the compensation would not be as high – is seen as the way to operate in a PSR world, with those players then developed for progression into the first team or to be sold at a profit.

The challenge for Newcastle now is to move to a full-time model at those age groups, much like Manchester City, where players are schooled and live on site.

AD BREAK

Newcastle are likely to return to Adidas HQ in Germany for a pre-season training camp next summer, but scope for a winter break in Dubai or Saudi Arabia will be dependent on progress in the FA Cup.

We understand that a return to the Adidas base in Herzogenaurach, where Eddie Howe and his squad spent a week in July, has been mooted. This would be welcomed by staff and players, such was the success of the trip.

However, they are less keen on long-haul expeditions such as Japan, where sources say the heat made it difficult to complete the volume of work needed at a crucial stage in pre-season.

Meanwhile, because the Premier League has this season removed the staggered fixtures that allowed for a two-week winter break in January, a return to Dubai or Saudi Arabia is less certain. The fourth, fifth and sixth rounds of the FA Cup are all scheduled for weekends when there are no Premier League fixtures.

So, if Newcastle were to exit before any of those, a break in the Middle East could be explored.

REACH FOR THE SKY

Finally, on the first day of Saudi-ownership nearly three years ago, my colleague Ian Herbert and I sat in the 3SIXTY restaurant on the top floor of Newcastle’s 26-storey Hadrian’s Tower, overlooking the city’s skyline and with views of St James’ Park.

We chose the venue for its handy location and for inspiration as we wrote four pages of Newcastle coverage between us.

Well, the club have been equally inspired by the trendy eatery in the sky and are now using it to bolster revenue streams, by offering a matchday hospitality package at £384 per person.

Punters get a three-course meal and the company of a former player before taking their seat in the Leazes End, a 10-minute walk from the venue. It is all a means to increasing the scope for expenditure in a PSR world.

TOON TEASER

It’s Toon Teaser time. Last week’s puzzler was… can you name the FOURTEEN players to have represented Republic of Ireland and played for Newcastle since the Premier League began in 1992-93… The answers were; David Kelly, Kevin Sheedy, Liam O’Brien, Andy O’Brien, Alan O’Brien, Stephen Carr, Stephen Ireland, Shay Given, Damien Duff, Ciaran Clark, Daryl Murphy, Jeff Hendrick, Rob Elliot, Leon Best.

This week’s puzzler, and sticking to a familiar theme, can you name the SEVEN players to have played for Newcastle and Wolves since 1992. Bonus point for the ONE current Newcastle player who played for Wolves but is yet to appear for the Magpies.

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