Eddie Howe warns of short-term pain for Newcastle in bid for consistency | OneFootball

Eddie Howe has warned there could be more short-term pain as Newcastle attempt to establish themselves as a consistent force in both the Premier League and Europe.

The Magpies will head into Saturday’s clash with head coach Howe’s former club Bournemouth sitting fourth in the table after a run of nine successive victories in all competitions and threatening to repeat their charge into the Champions League places two seasons ago.

They do so still attempting to tiptoe through the profitability and sustainability minefield which has prevented their Saudi-backed owners from flexing their financial muscle as fully as they would like, a situation which could see wide-man Miguel Almiron return to the MLS this month as they negotiate spending restrictions which forced them to sell Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh this summer.

When you’re armed with all the facts, sometimes you have to take that short-term pain.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe

Asked about the situation, Howe, who insisted the Paraguay international would be in his squad to face the Cherries, said: “No-one wants to lose any players from our current squad, especially in positions where we are a little bit fragile. Why would we want to leave ourselves in that position?

“But when you’re armed with all the facts, sometimes you have to take that short-term pain.”

Should 30-year-old Almiron eventually go, there is no guarantee he would be replaced during the current window with his current club having not made a major signing since Tino Livramento’s £32million arrival from Southampton in August 2023.

However, asked if keeping his powder dry this month would allow for a different summer, Howe said: “I don’t know if this summer will be different and suddenly the outlook totally changes. I think that’s for another day. What I would say is that hopefully the future beyond looks very different.”

For Newcastle fans who held their breath as the club pursued, ultimately unsuccessfully, a £70million deal for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi last summer, that may come as a shock, although Howe insists that money is not burning a hole in his pocket.

He said: “There’s not a pot of money there waiting to be spent, it’s all about June 30 and making sure you comply by that date. Obviously if you spend money, then you have to recoup it at a later date.”

In the meantime, Howe and his players will concentrate solely on the task of trying to claim a club record 10th consecutive win, something which looked a distant prospect as they returned from Brentford after a 4-2 league defeat on December 7.

The 47-year-old said: “That was a tough journey back. We got the coach back, the weather was really, really bad, very windy and me and [assistant head coach] Graeme Jones watched the whole game back there and then on the bus.

“But those times are good to look back on sometimes and just remind yourself of what can happen in the game and how painful it can be and try and stay away from those feelings for as long as possible.”