There’s a famous piece of commentary from Alan Shearer’s days playing for Blackburn which goes, ‘Who else but Alan Shearer, everything he touches turns to goals.’ An apt footballing play on words, but off-the-pitch at Newcastle United this summer has certainly turned into something, it just isn’t goals.

‘Elite on the pitch, amateurish off it’ is a phrase that has been doing the rounds in the United social media space, and never has a coined phrase been so accurate when it comes to this basket case of a club. And it’s the context of this that feels key as our star striker appears to be questioning the project he was sold.

Undoubtedly, the transformation on the pitch has been nothing short of miraculous since the 7 October 2021 takeover and Eddie Howe’s appointment as Head Coach. I’m sure you don’t need reminding, but let’s lay it out in black and white for providence:

2021/22 – Comfortably survived, finishing 11th, despite every man and pundit up and down the land scoffing at Howe’s appointment and bleating that Newcastle were dead and buried.

2022/23 – Deservedly finished 4th, losing just five league games all season with a joint best defensive record, to finish in the Champions League positions. Reached the Carabao Cup final, a first in a quarter of a century, losing to Man Utd.

2023/24 – Returned to the Champions League, smashed PSG 4-1 at SJP and finished 7th despite a crippling injury crisis. Would’ve been enough for European qualification nine out of the last ten seasons.

2024/25 – Finished 5th, qualified for the Champions League for the second time in three seasons, via UEFA’s coefficient model. Reached a second Carabao Cup final in three seasons, beating Liverpool 2-1 to win first major domestic honour in 70 years.

United have defied expectations almost at every turn and have begun to walk the walk of an elite club on the pitch; yet, this meteoric ascent contrasts starkly with the club’s often amateurish operations off the pitch.

Why so slow and staff retention? 

The disparity begins with the club’s glacial decision-making processes. Dan Ashworth was officially placed on gardening leave via a short statement on 19 February 2024, yet he wasn’t replaced by Paul Mitchell until 1 July 2024 – a four-and-a-half-month delay.

On 27 September 2024, it was announced that Darren Eales was stepping down from his role as CEO of Newcastle United after being diagnosed with a chronic form of blood cancer – he’s still in place, with no replacement in sight, nearly eleven months later.

Forgive me, but the company I work for has just announced a change to its CEO, and the replacement is in already, and its turnover is less than a tenth of Newcastle United’s.

Despite the on-field success, the administrative decision-making pace appears to be chronically mismanaged. Other missteps include Howe not knowing about Paul Mitchell’s appointment, the continual pushing back of the nebulous training ground/stadium announcements, and underused sponsorship opportunities via the commercial team.

Staff retention also needs to be considered. In 2023, 2024 and 2025 we’ve had either no Sporting Director or a different one in charge. This is not conducive to a well-run that has a clear strategy and strong working relations.

Recruitment – not fit for purpose? 

United’s recruitment, everywhere beyond the first team, has at times been excellent with plenty of strategic planning evident. Youth development, binned off under Mike Ashley, has seen significant investment with two more promising youngsters signed this week, and the women’s team has seen the arrival of two Lionesses as they push for promotion to the WSL.

United’s first team, already without a signing since 2023, has only signed one senior player this summer and has arguably a weaker squad than the one that finished last season. Never has a summer transfer window doused the flames of new season excitement more than the one that (thankfully) nearly trails behind us.

Financial prudence, while commendable, is bordering on restrictive, especially with clubs circumventing PSR via questionable means across the league (but mainly in the ‘big’ six), whilst United appear to be sticking to them staunchly. This behaviour brings with it accusations of lowballing bids, which, when coupled with the glacial decision-making, have seen five major first team targets slip through our fingers this summer. Perhaps Paul Mitchell was right about United’s recruitment processes?

Why the lack of communication?

Communication is another Achilles’ heel. Newcastle’s external messaging often lacks the polish expected of an elite club, and the social media admin’s timing stinks. Anyone fancy a new, Newcastle United-branded pair of Sambas?

Transfer strategies that appear to be creaking at the seams and ill-thought out, sporadic fan engagement which appears to be at best perfunctory and at worst tokenistic (away ticket changes/club crest changes), and a lack of statements from the hierarchy create an aura of disorganisation, display a lack of care, and this muddled narrative stands in stark contrast to the clear identity the team has built on the pitch.

I don’t expect a statement every week, but it would be great to hear from anyone at the club who isn’t Eddie Howe or James Bunce, as they predominantly work on the footballing side.

How about just a little reaffirming that, despite some setbacks, the project is still progressing despite external factors? The last time anyone heard from PIF in an official capacity was in the Amazon documentary… But seriously though, how about those Sambas?

United’s Enigmatic Quality

This apparent on-the-pitch, off-the-pitch dichotomy raises an intriguing paradox: perhaps Newcastle United can only thrive amidst chaos… The Geordie spirit, the city’s pulse, and Howe’s managerial acumen have forged a resilience and togetherness in the squad. On the pitch, there’s clarity, purpose, and ambition.

Off it, confusion reigns, yet this very turbulence perhaps fuelled the underdog ethos that propelled the team for so long, but it has now watered down the project players were sold and they are starting to eye pastures new due to United’s lack of tangible progress off the pitch. After all, the second-best striker in the world should be able to command elite footballing wages from his club.

As United eye sustained success, bridging this off-pitch gap is paramount. Elite clubs aren’t built solely on results; they thrive on robust structures, visionary leadership, and seamless operations. The next challenge lies way beyond the white lines of SJP’s turf –transforming the off-pitch approach to match the excellence achieved within them.