Who is Paul Mitchell? | OneFootball

Named as the new Newcastle United Sporting Director on 4 July 2024, who is Paul Mitchell?

Newcastle United has a history of intrigue.

After one of those runs of results, five Premier League games without a win, the media are hot on the case of Eddie Howe.

Coincidentally, Paul Mitchell gave a thought provoking interview to a number of NUFC journalists back in September.

The away win at Wolves is the only Premier League victory since.

Is it time to find out more about Paul Mitchell?

Before doing so, let’s have a look at the background to this season.

Eddie Howe of course saved the club from relegation, with sensible signings and a team identity. His first full season, with more investment, saw us into a Champions League position. In a tough campaign following, the squad suffered a plethora of injuries yet finished in a highly respectable 7th place.

PSR has had a big impact on Newcastle United’s recruitment policy. The new owners have pushed the limits of PSR and might have gone beyond them, resulting in the sales of Anderson and Minteh.

Despite apparently having funds to spare, the major incoming signings at first team level were Lloyd Kelly and Will Osula with Lewis Hall confirmed as permanent.

There had been upheaval in the NUFC structure. Wor Amanda and her husband have departed. Ashworth was on his way to Manchester, Mitchell came in at the start of July. Neither had managed to move on contracted players edging towards the senior part of their career. Our CEO Darren Eales has his own health concerns with a replacement sought. It is only youngsters who have been sold to generate funds.

A cohort of Newcastle United fans will feel that Eddie was let down in not being given additional ammunition, particularly on the right wing, in central defence and up front. Other competitors can be argued to have progressed more with more support.

So back to Paul Mitchell.

Like Dan Ashworth, he came with a positive reputation. He has been at his level in England, France and Germany. Reputations can be built on fact, they can also be built on hype. Both are obviously confident in portraying their images, despite their combined failures to shift on declining assets. Mitchell’s suggestion can be interpreted that his predecessor was not “fit for purpose.” Does that go with the job?

Mitchell was a player in Leagues One and Two, notably with Wigan and MK Dons. After injury, he started his career in recruitment with the Dons. His big claim to fame at MK Dons was signing former Leeds, Man U, NUFC and England striker, Alan Smith, who went on to score one goal in 51 games on a permanent contract.

After around 18 months, he landed a job at Southampton. MK Dons gained promotion a couple of years after he had left. Southampton gained promotion, no doubt directly as a result of Mitchell joining during the January window. It was here that he joined up with Pochettino, an alleged NUFC target under the new owners, now managing the USA national side. It was Mitchell’s successor who signed Virgil van Dijk.

In less than two years at the Saints, He followed Poch to Spurs where he is credited with signing Son, our very own Trippier and former alleged NUFC target Dele Alli who Mitchell would have met at the Dons. Mitchell is reported to have fallen out with Spurs owner, Daniel Levy and, like Ashworth at NUFC, learned how to tend roses.

On to 2018 where he joined up with RB Leipzig, in the Red Bull family of clubs. Leipzig had been runners up in the Bundesliga before he joined and went on to repeat the feat in the season after he left for Monaco who went on to win a pre-season tournament in the summer just gone.

With such a CV he could be the man to lead Newcastle United into the higher echelons. Some might suggest that teams do better after he has left. One wonders if, given the opportunity of a poll between Paul Mitchell and Eddie Howe, who supporters might choose between the two.

It will not be forgotten that under Mitchell, Gordon’s contract has been extended, as were Bruno’s and Joelinton’s before he arrived at NUFC. Presumably, all of those arrived despite transfer policy having been reportedly, in Mitchell’s judgement, “not fit for purpose.”

We of course look forward to seeing his impact in January. Averaging around two seasons for each of his senior appointments, it may be that his legacy is adding variety to the horticultural diversity at Chez Mitchell.