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4 months ago
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It is now a fortnight since a new Newcastle United Sporting Director was named.
The Newcastle United owners making sure they had their own appointment ready to announce, before allowing Dan Ashworth to end his four (plus) months of gardening and to start work at Old Trafford.
The new Newcastle United Sporting Director named as Paul Mitchell.
A former player whose playing career ended in early retirement due to injury.
Paul Mitchell has a great CV as a well-respected sporting executive, with a track record of success.
Started in scouting and recruitment, initially at MK Dons, before major roles at Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, RB Leipzig, Red Bull Soccer International, and AS Monaco.
Newcastle United Sporting Director Paul Mitchell talking to NUFC TV – 18 July 2024:
“It takes time [with a five year plan] and at some points on the journey over the next five years, we are going to have to rely on a level of patience.
“I know that is a hard thing to ask for… but it is important to understand that we are on a journey.
“We have got some great elements that make me super excited and have been drivers to my decision [to come to Newcastle United], the coach [Eddie Howe] being one.
“I think that in five years time we can really challenge for important things at an important level.
“We have an ambition and so we need to plot a strategy over time to get to that, not just get there [to the Champions League] once every five years, but get there every year and put Newcastle United on the global map.
“We want our name and brand on the tip of everybody’s tongue.
“That is my big driver.
“To really establish us in the global game in the right way.”
Shorter-term, this transfer window:
“Shorter term, transfer window, I always say, how can we make the team better?
“Make the team more set up to win.
“How can we align the club more to the way the coach wants the team to develop over time?
“That is the challenge this transfer window.
“We have some really great components.
“You have to be a little more strategic because the elements you are looking for might be one or two positions, not a whole total rebuild.
“We have made the big leap to this level, so it is about getting the small decisions right over time.
“Not making big decisions that destabilise what we have already built.
“We have some really exciting foundations.”
Eddie Howe:
“Eddie was building a great job at Bournemouth while I was helping Southampton build their own project.
“So we know each other, both raised in football through the south coast, we know each other and have a tremendous amount of respect.
“I see our philosophies being a natural collaboration and it was something that was one of the motivations to come here.
“I think it is going to be tremendously successful, you see Eddie Howe’s qualities… he is already impressive on the grass, you can see his player development CV, that fits nicely with my recruitment CV.
“We recognise a player has performance potential but then you can extract that potential, through great coaching and great technical sessions every single day.
“I think that collaborative approach brings together Eddie’s strengths and mine.
“I can only see a positive outcome to that.”
Injuries AND injury prevention and bringing in Performance Director James Bunce, who Paul Mitchell appointed at Monaco in the same role:
“Something that has been well documented is injury prevention and the amount of injuries around the Newcastle United first team [especially last season].
“It is something that Eddie wanted to address.
“The organisation and ownership wanted to address.
“My job is to go and find the best in class [to help tackle that issue].
“We need to put that [injury issue] right.
“If we are to perform well we need to give our best players accessibility (available to play) to the coach.
“The way we do that is by keeping them fit, healthy, resilient, robust.
“So that our coach has a chance of winning on match day.
“James Bunce is an elite specialist in performance.”

 
